Switched Music
by bangag pa
Summary: An average musician with an extraordinary passion for music but was never given a break until her cousin needed a temporary replacement for his band. The only catch is it's a boy's shoes she has to fill in. *WIP*
1. Persuasion

**Title: Switched music**

Summary: An average musician with an extraordinary passion for music but was never given a break until her cousin needed a temporary replacement for his band. The only catch is it's a boy's shoes she has to fill in.

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**Chapter 1: Persuasion**

"Crap, I'm late." Sakura cursed her luck as she ran to the audition for her cousin's band. "Tomoyo will have my head again if I didn't make it."

Sakura sprinted thru the soccer field as it was a shortcut to the auditorium where the band's audition would be held. But as we all know how clumsy our favorite character is, she tripped.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Now, I'll never really gonna make it on time." Sakura pounded her fist on the ground in frustration before she tries again to stand up as quickly as possible and resume her running.

At last, she made it to the auditorium five minutes after her "accident" in the field. It's really a mystery on how she's never seriously injured on all the falls she got into because of her inborn klutziness. Panting, she reached for the knob but unfortunately (this is really not her day) the door opened forcefully that got her dizzily sent to the sweet dirty ground _a-gain_.

"Kura?"

Getting knocked by the heavy auditorium door and face flat on the ground, Sakura could only groan in response.

"Oh shit, Kura? What are you doing down there?" Ikki asked worriedly.

"Duh? Isn't it obvious?"

"Huh?"

"You knocked her out. Oh boy, wait till Tomo finds out about this. You're in big trouble" Andy taunted.

Sakura could hear voices, someone chuckling, and someone pleading. "Who—" But before she could ask, a familiar voice screeched.

"Kura!"

"Ikki what have you done to my Kura?" Tomoyo shoved Ikki, accusing him and sending his butt flat on the ground.

"Hey, how sure you are it's me?"

Tomoyo just glared in response and tend to her dearest cousin. "Kura, kura…"

Sakura felt herself being shaken violently that even when she opened her eyes she could only see four people in a blur crowding her.

"Tomo stop shaking the hell out of her. She's awake and still alive. See..."

Tomoyo immediately stopped and waited for Sakura to come around. Sakura rubbed her eyes and waited for it to adjust and saw Tomo, Ikki, Andy and Ren in front of her.

"Are you okay, Kura?" Ren asked handing her a towel to rub off the dirt on her face from the fall.

"Yeah, just a little shaken."

"Now that you're okay, where have you been? You're forty-five minutes late. The audition was over." Sakura winced at her cousin's sudden nagging.

Luckily, Ikki, another cousin defended her. "Hey, give her a break Tomo; she's still in trauma from your _'shaking fit_' five minutes ago."

"Shut up, it's your fault in the first place. She wouldn't be shaken if you hadn't knocked her out."

"I have no idea she's on the other side of the door."

"But you don't have to open it that vivaciously."

"Hey, I'm not that hyper."

"Yes you were. Ever since that slut audition, you've been acting weird. You're like a giddy ditzy smitten teenager all over again. It's quite revolting to watch."

"Huh? What's that got to do with it?" Ikki scratched his nape and then smirked as he realized something. "I know what this is. You're jealous."

"I'm not. Why would I be?" Tomoyo reddened.

Ikki teased her more. "What else, 'cause you're hopelessly in-love with me."

"In your dreams—"

"No need to."

Sakura, Ren and Andy feeling suddenly out of place, left Ikki and Tomoyo still bickering at each other as it was a day to day thing in the campus.

"So, what's it about now?" Sakura asked.

Ren sighed. "Just some slut who audition…"

"Instead of playing an instrument, the slut used the instrument as a prop on her dirty dancing, that got Ikki drooling all over the place until Tomo stopped the whole act." Andy continued chuckling at the memory.

Sakura laugh trying to imagine the scene she missed because of her tardiness.

"What's your excuse then?" Ren lazily slump on the bench they've come upon.

"Huh?" Sakura still dense for her age confusedly asked.

Ren rolled his eyes. "Why were you late?"

"Oh that, I was caught daydreaming in class and got detention for it." Sakura replied scratching her nape in embarrassment.

"Again?"

Andy and Ren sighed. Knowing Sakura, they should have anticipated this. They should have scheduled the audition at a later time or on a weekend. Silence reigned over them as they watched the cherry blossom petals floating gracefully around them.

"So had you found someone?"

"Unfortunately, none made it to the second audition. That's why we needed you there; you're the only one who could pacify those two cousins of yours." Ren heaved another sigh.

"None of the audition pieces were finished, for either one of them would bark at the applicant or with themselves on how they reacted on each act or person. A very good example was with the slut." Andy (short for Andrea) scowled at the memory of the never ending bickering of her two band mates.

Ren wittingly suggest. "If I didn't know those two, I'd say they like each other." Andy made a puking face. "Eww, wouldn't that be incest."

"Duh, no, Ikki's my cousin on my father's side while Tomo's on my mother's side." Sakura supplied.

"But that's still disgusting—" Andy got cut-off as Tomoyo and Ikki suddenly appeared.

"What's disgusting?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

Andy fidgeted, "Nothing."

Silence reigned over the group. There's no one in the audition that passed the screening so they'll have to go to there last resort which is…

Ren broke the silence. "So… What now?"

Sakura felt the tension in the air thicken. 'This is not a good sign. Please, please let it not what I think it would be.' She prayed silently as she waits for someone to speak up.

"You have to replace me for the time being. Please Kura?" Ikki pleaded and try to reason with his cousin. "I really need this scholarship… please proxy for me. I know I'm asking too much from you but—"

"But cuz, you're the lead vocalist. How the hell could I imitate your voice?"

"Kura, you don't have to imitate my voice. And you could sing in a low voice, and if it's really difficult for you Ren here could do it for you or Tomo."

"Bu-but…"

"Please Kura… you're my last hope."

"Babe, you're the most competent one for the job." Tomoyo piped in.

"What about Touya? Yuki? Ken? Yam? Ryu? Jun?"

Andy countered. "Touya, Yuki and Ken would also be there in the camp as facilitators, and Yam couldn't even sing."

"Ryu and Jun on the other hand would be out of the town for a couple of days for some family affair of some sort." Ren supplied.

"Please?" Ikki pouted cutely.

Looking at their desperate faces, Sakura finally cave in. "Fine just for 5 days right?"

"Yeah, I promise I'll be there for the orientation. You would just have to cover for me on the next five days and I'll be back before you know it."

- to be continued-

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Jan 15, 2009 bangag_pa

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June 21, 2013 updated


	2. Hesitation

**Chapter 2: Hesitation**

"I can't believe you're actually going for it?" Jun then handed them their drinks.

Sakura replied dazedly. "Me either."

"Are you really, sure about this?" Ryu nursed his fourth bottle as he slumped further in his seat.

"Yeah, is there really no other way?" Yam asked concernedly as he slapped Ryu's back. "Dude, easy on the beer we still have another set in five minutes."

Ryu just glared at Yam and resumed his drinking. Yam gave up on him and tried to focus on his best friend. "Kura, Kura?" He shook Sakura gently to snap her out of her trance.

"Huh?"

Yam sweat dropped and calmly repeated his question. "I said if there's really no other way?"

"No, they told me I was there last resort. I don't know if I should be elated or insulted by it." Sakura then faced them finally. "I believe they've asked you guys already."

"Yeah, sorry dude you know I can't sing." Yam shamefully scratched his nape while Ryu just nod. And just when Jun was about to explained his reasons, Sakura cut him off. "And I know you two have this family thing you have to attend to." Jun just nodded sympathetically.

"Guys, look it's alright." Sakura tried to convince them. Well, mostly herself. 'I hope so.'

Tomoyo suddenly popped out of nowhere. "Why are you still here? Guys, you're up in a minute, you should be backstage already."

"YES MOM!" They groaned in chorus, quickly finished their drinks and marched off to the back stage.

Tomoyo sighed slightly annoyed at their sarcasm but then attempted to shake it off as she too, has a long night ahead of her.

"Give it up for Convicted Minds" a booming voiced announced. The entire bar settled down with the announcement.

**_I've got the world crashing down, down around my feet_**

**_I've got the world crashing down, down around my feet_**

"Convicted Minds? Way to give a name for a band. Are they convicts?" He chuckled, slightly drowsy from his drink.

His cousin taunted. "Can't wait to see for yourself, eh?"

**_Time is only temporary, this will not last forever_**

**_Time is only temporary, this will not last forever_**

**_Time is only temporary, this will not last forever_**

**_Time is only temporary, this will not last forever_**

Convicted Minds was formed by four childhood friends. Namely, Kura, Yam, Ryu and Jun (Kura: rhythm guitar/vocal; Jun: lead guitar/vocal; Yam: drums; Ryu: bass/vocal).

**_Before you take me home, there's just a_**

**_Few things I wanted you to know_**

**_Take a deep breath, it's been an hour_**

**_And we've been walking for a million miles tonight_**

**_Don't fight the things I know you want to say to me._**

**_So please, don't make it harder than it has to be._**

**_Don't make it harder than it has to be._**

**_Don't make it harder than it has to be._**

"Dear cousin, mind your manners. Don't drool in public." Not a sign of response from him, his cousin continued. "Convicts eh? I think you're smitten with one of them?"

His cousin drank from his bottle before provoking him again. "So who is it then?" His cousin followed his gaze and smirk, "Of course, the girl with the cap?"

**_Time is only temporary, this will not last forever_**

**_Time is only temporary, this will not last forever_**

**_Time is only temporary, this will not last forever_**

**_Time is only temporary, this will not last forever_**

**_Before you take me home,_**

**_Please don't tell me what I don't wanna know._**

**_Wipe your eyes dry, you'll see clearer._**

**_The end of this is coming close to us, don't rush_**

**_I've heard that line a million times from you_**

**_And its true, the midnight sky has another shade of blue._**

**_The midnight sky has another shade of blue._**

**_The midnight sky has another shade of_**

"Who is she?" He inwardly pondered.

Irritated from the lack of response, his cousin nudged him gently but he fell off his chair from being too caught up with the guitarist.

He glared at his cousin and resumed his gawking. 'Damn cousin, when will that baka stop being a know it all and harass me every time he thinks he's right. Well, in this case he is quite right.'

**_My heart is yours for the taking_**

**_My heart is yours for the taking...for the taking._**

His eyes widened, when he heard the said guitarist sang back up for those two lines. 'What the—' He gaped at her.

"Syao shut your mouth will you? You're really embarrassing me with your gasping and gawking. It's really creeping me out."

"Shut up Eriol!"

"She really is something isn't she?"

Syaoran just nodded without looking up on who said it.

Eriol noticing that neither of them uttered it looked around and just missed the black haired girl who turned at the next corner.

**_The world is falling like a final curtain to my feet,_**

**_And the wish for your applause is taking over me_**

**_The world is falling like a final curtain to my feet,_**

**_And the wish for your applause is taking over me_**

After Tomoyo told her they're leaving onto their next gig, Andy quickly went backstage. She needed to clarify a few things to a certain someone after having a peep on their performance just a few minutes ago.

Seeing a dazed Sakura, she sneakily snatched Sakura's cap and placed it on her short auburn hair, releasing the luscious auburn locks of Sakura's. "Hey, Babe what's up with you earlier?"

Sakura asked impulsively. "Huh? Did I screw up?"

"Babe, hell no. You and screw up don't belong in a sentence." Andy slumped at the couch behind the backstage.

"Then why—"

"You were like a zombie out there dazing out off to some unknown place or something." Andy said in a-matter-of-fact tone.

Sakura flopped on the couch beside her. "Oh, that…"

"Kura, I know we're asking too much from you but you could still back out. I could talk them out of it. It will be hard but I could you know. I just—"

Sakura buried her head in her arms folded on her lap dejectedly. "No, I've been pondering about it for a couple of days now. I want to really help you guys but the problem is if I can handle it. I'm not confident I could pull it off. I'm scared that someone might find out about—"

"No one would suspect anything. The group has been devising something to cover things up for you so don't worry about it. We've got your back. Just try to enjoy playing with us that's all I'm asking." Andy patted her head trying to reassure her.

"You know I always will."

Andy stood up, but when she was about to push the door, she hesitated and turned around. "And, Kura…"

Sakura finally looked up. "Yeah?"

"Never doubt yourself." Andy waved goodbye and walked out of the backstage door.

Whistling a tune while walking, she reached for her hair to fix it and realized that she still has Sakura's cap. As she was about to turn around to the backstage—

Ooof!

"Hey watch where you're going? I value my life thank you very much. I don't want to be squished to death." Andy yelled, exasperated from their situation and position.

He rubbed his eyes to focus on the person below him. His eyes widened when realization hit him full force. It's the guitarist.

"Would you _please_ get off me?" Andy sarcastically asked, giving up from pushing him off her.

"Syao, snap out of it." Eriol pulled his cousin to his feet to release the girl he accidentally squished.

"Sorry, I think he had too much alcohol in his system." Eriol quickly apologized, seeing that his cousin is still speechless from the encounter.

"Oh, whatever." Andy uncaringly stomped off, scowling from her bad luck.

Snapping from his trance, Syaoran tried to follow her only to be stopped by his stupid cousin again. "Wait, I didn't get your name."

- to be continued-

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A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "For the taking" by the band FROM FIRST TO LAST. Thanks please review

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Jan 15, 2009 bangag_pa

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June 21, 2013 updated


	3. Competition

**Chapter 3: Competition?**

"I know I saw him before? But where?" Tomoyo muttered at herself, unconsciously clicking the mouse of her computer.

"Who?"

Without acknowledging the person who asked, she replied automatically. "Some guy at the bar last night, I know I saw him somewhere. I just can't pinpoint who, where or when it is?"

"What guy?"

Tomoyo rolled her eyes, now fully aware of the curious owner of the voice. "Oh, please don't give me that tone."

"What tone?" Ikki asked curiously.

"Duh, the jealous tone."

He answered baffled. "I'm not jealous."

"Yes you are. Don't deny it." Tomoyo pointed her finger at him, clearly irritated.

Ikki scoffed. "Why deny something I'm blameless of?"

"Blameless?"

"…" Ikki just curiously stared at her bewildered form.

"Vindicated!" Tomoyo triumphantly uttered.

"Hmmm… didn't know you've turned into a thesaurus genius. Let's test it then. What's the—"

Noticing that she wasn't paying attention to his sarcastic remarks. Ikki peered down the computer screen she's typing with viciously.

She grinned as she finally found what she was looking for.

"A video feed?" He muttered to himself as he read the details of the video feed Tomoyo was about to watch.

"Wolf Drifters?" Ikki eyed Tomoyo as they waited for the feed to load.

_Posted by bangag_pa._

_Song: Vindicated _

_Original Artist: Dashboard Confessional _

_Performed by: Wolf Drifters _

_Venue: MGH University's school fair. _

_Views: 145,276_

**_Hope dangles on a string_**

**_Like slow spinning redemption_**

**_Winding in and winding out_**

**_The shine of it has caught my eye_**

**_And roped me in_**

**_So, mesmerizing, so hypnotizing,_**

**_I am captivated, I am_**

"Woah, they're good. Who are they exactly?" Ikki asked but Tomoyo didn't budged, intent to focus on the video.

Ikki pondered. "Tomo, do you know him." He pointed at the vocalist. "He does look familiar?"

**_Vindicated_**

**_I am selfish_**

**_I am wrong_**

**_I am right_**

**_I swear I'm right_**

**_Swear I knew it all along_**

**_And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well_**

**_I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself_**

Still being ignored by Tomoyo, Ikki grabbed the mouse from her and click the side information on the video feed.

Wolf Drifters members: Syaoran: lead guitar/vocals; Eriol: rhythm guitar/back up vocals; Rika: bass; Miyu: drums)

**_So clear_**

**_Like the diamond in your ring_**

**_Cut to mirror your intention_**

**_Oversized and overwhelmed_**

**_The shine of which has caught my eye_**

**_And rendered me_**

**_So isolated, so motivated_**

**_I am certain now that I am_**

'Hmm… Syaoran? I know I've heard that one before from someone. But who? Who? C'mon Tomoyo think… think.' Tomoyo jabbed her temples gently trying to shake up her memory.

"What's wrong?" Ikki asked anxiously, curiosity etched on his face.

She stuttered dejectedly, clearly getting frustrated by it. "N-nothing."

**_Vindicated_**

**_I am selfish_**

**_I am wrong_**

**_I am right_**

**_I swear I'm right_**

**_Swear I knew it all along_**

**_And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well_**

**_I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself_**

The video focused again on the band's vocalist and then realization then hit her. 'Xiaolang Li, Mei's baby brother?'

Patiently, she waited for him to be focused again and stared at his face to confirm her assumption.

**_So turn up the corners of your lips_**

**_Part them and feel my finger tips_**

**_Trace the moment fall forever_**

**_Defense is paper thin_**

**_Just one touch and I'll be in_**

**_Too deep now to ever swim against the current_**

'It's really him. Why didn't I figure it out sooner? Should I tell him or let him figure it out himself?' Tomoyo glanced mischievously at Ikki as he quietly discerned the guy in the video.

Getting irritated from his slowness, Tomoyo blurted out her discovery. "It's Mei's brother and their cousins."

"Who's who?" Ikki scratched his head.

**_So let me slip away_**

**_So let me slip away_**

**_So let me slip away_**

**_So let me slip against the current_**

**_So let me slip away_**

**_So let me slip away_**

**_So let me slip away_**

**_So let me slip away_**

"Mei lin Li, Touya's band mate and love interest." Tomoyo widely grin.

"Oh, her…" Ikki chuckled at the memory he have of her. "Touya sure is smitten with her back then."

"Until now." Tomoyo confirmed.

**_Vindicated_**

**_I am selfish_**

**_I am wrong_**

**_I am right_**

**_I swear I'm right_**

**_Swear I knew it all along_**

**_And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well_**

**_I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself_**

**_Like hope dangles on a string_**

**_Like slow spinning redemption..._**

"Are you sure it's him?" Ikki asked again staring at Syaoran's face.

"Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"He's different."

Tomoyo bonked his head gently. "Of course he is. It's been five years since we last saw him, you baka!"

"Ouch, that—"

"There you are. We've been looking for you guys for hours." Andy glared at them.

"I think we interrupted something private." Ren whispered to Andy but loud enough for the two to hear.

Ikki and Tomoyo stopped what they're doing and looked at themselves. Ikki's arms were around Tomoyo's waist, Tomoyo almost sitting at his lap. He grabbed Tomoyo before she ran away from him for bonking his ahead awhile ago. Tomoyo's hands on his arm and chest trying futilely to escape him, but from a third party point of view they looked like a couple having an intimate moment.

Realizing their position they both blushed and let each other go instantly, creating a huge gap between them.

Ren and Andy heartily laughed at them, "Are you finally together?"

"Wait till I tell the guys about it?" Andy teased and rapidly disappeared.

Ikki and Tomoyo paled at their band mate's threat and hurriedly ran after her. Ren shaking with laughter followed them.

However, they're not the only one in the hallway.

* * *

"Really?" "No, way?" "Are you sure?" A group of girls were noisily arguing nearby.

Sakura was currently enjoying the shade of the tree she's named after. Lazily stretched out under a tree, when a looming shadow disturbed her peace.

She quickly got irritated by this, but ignored the person who barged on her solitude. But after a few minutes of silence, the intruder didn't utter a word, like it was still silently debating with herself. Getting truly annoyed Sakura lift her eyeglasses to see who it was and growled at the person. "What the hell do you want?"

The girl trembled and stuttered, "Ano... I... I ju-just want to... know if it's true?" the girl shyly asked.

'Not another one,' Kura sighed, put her shades back on and hummed her tune, ignoring the nosy girl. It's been two hours after she heard that ridiculous gossip involving her cousins and this is the twentieth girl that asked her about it.

Sakura sized up the girl and just hummed. 'Even if it's true I won't even tell you.'

"Look Ikki isn't fond with flirty clingy aggressive girls so just back off, get it?" Someone interjected.

The girl red beet in anger, bravely answered her back, "And who are you to decide for him anyway?"

Sakura stopped humming and looked at the scene, amused with the squabble. What's more, she was caught by surprised that Andy and one of the subjects of the gossip were there.

Andy smirked and chided, "Well, first I don't like you. Second, you disgust me. And third, its true Tomo is Ikki's girlfriend. Now, shoo!"

The girl paled and ran off to her friends waiting for her and then told them the news. The group of high school girls glared at them and scampered off.

"Shoo?" Sakura asked in amusement. While Tomoyo yelled at the same time, quite shaken by the news, "I'm what?!"

"Ikki's boyfriend," Andy innocently replies and batted cutely her eyes.

Sakura's jaw dropped and stared at a chuckling Andy and a furious Tomoyo. "It's true? What the hell were you two thinking—?"

Realization dawned on her and gasped, "Don't tell me you guys are serious?"

"Of course not." Andy replied quickly

"Then why? You know I'm going to be him on the next few days." Sakura whimpered.

"I'm protecting your pretty ass from those fan clubs. Could you confidently tell me you could handle them?" Andy asked curiously. Tomoyo then remained quiet trying to ponder on Andy's devious plan.

"Fan clubs?" Sakura tilted her head, pondering on Andy's statement.

"Yeah, that sicko has three fan clubs. Two in our college and one in your high school. Gee, I don't even understand why? What could they possibly see in that baka?" Tomoyo pondered.

"But babe, you could just tell them he's not interested period. Why create those lies," Sakura whined. 'He's interested in you.'

Andy laughed at her glaring band mate and her pouting friend and tapped Sakura's shoulder playfully, "then where's the fun in it?" Sakura and Tomoyo sweat dropped.

"Then why me? Why not you?" Tomoyo hissed.

"That would be yucky. And it's not believable. You and Ikki on the other hand bicker too much that could be mistaken as a lover's quarrel sometimes." Andy supplied smugly.

'If you only knew.' Tomoyo and Sakura gazed at each other in mutual understanding.

Tomoyo shifted the topic, "So this is deliberately to torture me?"

"Torture?" Andy incredulously blurted. She continued with glint in her eyes. "I would never do that to you."

"And how would be this torture to Ikki then?"

"Crushed his oversized ego." She smugly replied.

"Really? How?"

"He would be—"

Sakura cut her off before Andy blurted out something inappropriate, "Does he even know about this plan of yours?"

"Oh yeah, I have to tell them about it. Bye." And Andy hurried off somewhere before Tomoyo pounced on her.

"Wait, I'm not through with you." Tomoyo called and followed her.

This left Sakura there, gaping helplessly at them. "What the hell have I've gotten myself into?"

- to be continued-

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A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "Vindicated" by the band DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL. Thanks please review

Jan 15, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	4. Attraction

**Chapter 4: Attraction**

"Hey would you stop pushing? Not because you're older than me you can push me around." Andy hissed at her tormenter.

Tomoyo defended. "I'm one month older than you."

"It still counts."

"Will you two stop it? You're two years older than me and both in college but you still act worst than ten year old brats." Sakura scoffed.

"She started it?" Tomoyo point a finger at Andy.

Andy retorted. "Nu-uh, miss bossy here started everything?"

"Well, _you_ are my slave for the day, remember?" Tomoyo reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah I'm regretful of what I did okay? But you must admit it did work?" Andy proudly babbled.

Tomoyo ignored her last statements, "You don't sound regretful?"

"I—"

"Shut up both of you! We're going to be late!" Sakura yelled exasperated.

"Well tell your cousin being a slave does not cover—" Sakura then glared at Andy making her stop with her blabbering. They reached the side of stage in time to hear the last sentence of introduction of the band.

"Give it up for Busted Halo."

**_Ohh…_**

**_If I give up on you I give up on me_**

**_If we fight what's true, will we ever be_**

**_Even God himself and the faith I knew_**

**_Shouldn't hold me back, shouldn't keep me from you_**

**_Tease me, by holding out your hand_**

**_Then leave me, or take me as I am_**

**_And live our lives, stigmatized… yeah_**

On the other side of the stage, a teen tries to shake off something from his arms pathetically. "Dude, will you stop clinging?" Syaoran tried to shove Eriol away. "What's your freaking problem anyway?"

Eriol clinging for dear life replied, "I'm just afraid to get lost from you guys, it's a large crowd you know."

"Yeah, right," Rika teased. "Dude, then why Syao? You could hang with us girls, it would be less weird." Rika pointing her fingers to her and Miyu. Like a leech Eriol still didn't let go of Syaoran. In mockery, she taps her shoes, hands on waist while waiting for an answer, "Well?"

Not noticing her cousins Miyu gasped at the crowd, "Mei's band is so popular, they've got so many fans. Oooh, I envy them. Wish I was up there with them." She sighs dreamily.

"No, need to be jealous cuz, but Syao's my favorite cousin and if we're spotted together, we attract more girls in the crowd." Eriol airily stated as if stating the facts to her innocent cousin.

"Girls? Dream on cuz." Rika snorted, "Well, it doesn't seem like that dude. Base from your positions I could clearly say you're both gays. You're gonna attract more boys than girls."

That comment got Miyu's ears and for the first time, became aware of Syaoran and Eriol's position. Eriol leaning his head in Syaoran's right shoulder, his arm in loop in Syaoran's right arm, as Syaoran struggle to get rid of his weird hormonal cousin's arms from his.

"Eww, incest!" Miyu points at them laughing her ass off. Syaoran reddened from embarrassment, and looked around if anybody heard his cousin's accusatory statement.

**_I can feel the blood rushing through my veins_**

**_When I hear your voice, driving me insane_**

**_Hour after hour day after day_**

**_Every lonely night that I sit and pray_**

**_Tease me, by holding out your hand_**

**_Then leave me, or take me as I am_**

**_And live our lives, stigmatized_**

**_Oh yeah, yeah, yeah_**

**_We live our lives on different sides,_**

**_But we keep together you and I_**

**_Just live our lives, stigmatized_**

"Will you shut the hell up?" Syaoran shot back at Miyu as she giggled uncontrollably. "And you, get your gay hands off me or I swear I'll release your naked picture when you were eight clinging to a clown who was crying and trying to get away from you in our webpage, or—"

"I-I w-a-was eight, an-and that damn clown had my favorite shirt stuck in his wig, so I ran after him," Eriol stuttered from humiliation.

"Winnie the Pooh shirt? That was your favorite shirt," Rika hugging her tummy from the pain of laughing too much.

Miyu sarcastically gasped and grinning like a maniac, "All the while, I thought the teletubbies' shirt was your favorite."

"Oh c'mon guys not so loud, for crying out loud, I was eight." Eriol whined still clinging to Syaoran's arm, frantically looking around if they caught anybody's attention.

Syaoran trying to control his voice from laughing so hard, "… well how about your impersonation video of Tina Turner singing and dancing your ass off…" At this Eriol, let go of Syaoran and glared at his three cousins, who won't stop laughing at him.

"That was one wicked vacation that memory is sooo deeply etched in my mind," Miyu guffawed, holding her knees for support.

Eriol who is in deep shade of red by now, retorted, "That was a damn dare, you guys forced on me."

"A dare you eagerly and expertly performed in front of the whole Li household, two months ago," Syaoran sniggered loudly catching the attention of people around them.

**_We'll live our lives we'll take the punches every day… oh…_**

**_We'll live our lives I know we're gonna find our way… yeah…_**

**_I believe in you_**

She really can't stand it anymore. Andy and Tomoyo can't stop bickering at the littlest thing since that fated day when Andy announced to the whole school that Ikki and Tomoyo is an item. And so Sakura wandered on her own to fully watch his brother's performance. Of course, her two companions never notice her absence.

Sakura squeezed her way through the crowd to get a better looked on the stage. As the song reaches its climax the crowd grew more aggressive and she was push forcefully into someone and they both fell on the cold concrete only to her discomfort she was at the bottom.

**_Even if no one understands_**

**_Yeah, I believe in you, and I don't really give a damn_**

Something soft brushed with Syaoran's lips. Dreading what it was, he stubbornly remained still and shut his eyes almost painfully, pretending it was all a dream. 'Shit, is it a girl? A guy? An old lady? Or an old man?' He shuddered at those thoughts.

The person underneath him didn't dare to move at all. And for five forsaking minutes, he couldn't take it anymore, and slowly open his eyes only to be greeted with a pair of intense emerald eyes.

Sakura finally absorbed everything, touch her lips, frowned and glared at him, 'He just stole my first kiss.'

Syaoran quickly stood up and helped the girl he bumped into. But the girl shoved his hands and stood up by herself.

"Watch where you're going," she snorted and wipes her lips in disgust and turn the other way but was stop with...

**_Oh stigmatized Oh yeah, yeah, yeah…_**

**_We live our lives on different sides_**

**_But we keep together you and I…_**

**_We live our lives on different sides, Oh…._**

Syaoran grabbed her wrist before she ran away from him. "I'm sorry. It really was an accident."

"Fine, now will you let go of me?" Sakura scoffed at him, wiggling her arm out of his hold.

Syaoran pleaded at her, still mesmerized by her sparkling eyes. "Will you tell me your name first?"

"Not a chance in hell."

"But w—"

"Syao we've been looking all over for you." Syaoran was suddenly spun around by his idiotic cousin and losses his grip on his newly found fascination.

**_We're gonna live our lives_**

**_Gotta live our lives_**

**_We're gonna live our lives_**

**_Yeah, yeah…_**

**_We're gonna live our lives,_**

**_Gonna live our lives,_**

**_Yeah, Stigmatized_**

"He was the only one in panic." Miyu blurted out.

"Yeah, he was really hysterical when he loss his beloved cousin." Rika added playfully.

Taken aback, Sakura trudged the opposite direction to get away as far as possible from the _"weirdoes" a_s if it's not enough to be constantly surrounded by them herself (her cousins and their band mates).

Syaoran ignored his cousins' mockery and whirled around to get back to the girl. Unfortunately, she was already swallowed by the sea of strangers.

'Damn Eriol.'

* * *

They reached the back stage but still no sign of Sakura.

"She's not here either? Where could she be?" Tomoyo sat down, exhausted from the search.

"It's your fault we lost her?" Andy accused, pointing angrily at her.

"Me?"

"If it weren't for you, snapping at me all the time since we got here. She wo—"

"She got irritated because of—"

"No, you."

Sakura was about to push the black curtain to get through when she heard the familiar voices of Tomoyo and Andy still at it. She sighed and pondered if she should wait for her brother to get there first before going in.

When she was about to get in and stop the two she heard another argument coming her way. She hid instinctively to avoid any involvement in it. She really had enough of the nonsense of those two and could not take another one.

"Oh c'mon dude. We're really sorry." A guy whined but he was ignored by the other one.

Sakura paled as she saw the guy-who-stole-her-first-kiss came into view with a whining guy and two very amuse girls trailing behind him.

"Syao, please I really didn't know you were with a girl." He continued to whine but the other guy just trudge forward to the back stage without sparing him a single glance.

'That was disturbing. Are they related or in that kind of relationship?' Sakura wonder about.

"Who are you guys? What are you doing here?" Andy asked as a group of teenagers entered the room. "This room is reserved for band members only?"

"But we are a band."

Tomoyo looked up and studied the faces of the visitors. "You're Mei's brother!" Tomoyo pointed at the young brunette. "And the rest of you are their cousins, right?"

"He is?" Andy queried disbelievingly. Syaoran just nodded. "They are?" Syaoran again just nodded, too stunned in seeing her again. 'The guitarist in cap.'

But Tomoyo ignored her, asking them again. "Shouldn't you be in Kyoto?"

'He's Mei Lin's brother?' Sakura gaped at her cousin's revelation.

"Kajuu? What are you doing out here?"

Sakura nervously twirled. "Onii-chan, I was looking for you?" Sakura fidgeted. She didn't even notice that her brother called her a monster because of her growing anxiety. Unfortunately, Touya did.

"What's wrong kajuu?"

Sakura tried not to stutter her answer, "N-nothing" but failed so she hugged her brother to avoid his lingering gaze. "I'm just glad to see you again. By the way, you're really great back there."

"O-kay." Touya eyed her curiously. He was about to ushered her in when she pulled back her arm.

Hesitating she asked, "Onii-chan if you see Tomoyo and Andy could you tell them I'm heading to the dorm first. I'm really beat."

"Okay." Noticing her strained eyes and pale complexion, he asked again. "Hey, you sure you're alright?"

She sighed. "Yeah. It's just my eyes are itchy with the contacts I wore today. Don't worry about it."

Sakura then staggered away from him. He sighed and watched her sister dejectedly greet his band mates.

"Hey Kura." Mei Lin cheerfully greeted but was responded by a gloomy 'hey.' Even when Yuki and Ken greeted Sakura they've gotten the same response.

"What's wrong with her?" Mei Lin asked Touya as she approached him.

Touya shrugged his frustration and shoved the black curtain. "I don't know."

"Onii-chan!" Andy pounced on her poor brother.

"Woah, kiddo. We still need our guitarist for the next gig." Touya chuckled as Andy quickly released her brother Yuki of her bear hug.

"I missed you too." Yuki hug her gently and removed her cap at the same time.

Syaoran gawked at his crush as her auburn hair flowed smoothly out of the cap. Mei Lin noticed it and rushed to his side. "You're drooling," she whispered.

Syaoran snapped back to reality and shut his mouth. He then noticed Eriol's current state as he too was gawking at the other girl.

"Ken you were really great." Tomoyo gushed at her childhood crush.

Ken sheepishly replied, still not used to her complements. "Um… thanks."

"I've missed all of you." Andy giddily hugged the rest of band as she came to stop with Mei Lin, "Is he really your brother? You don't look alike?"

Mei Lin laughed, "Is it because he's a moody brat? And—"

"Hey" Syaoran beet red, nudged her sister.

"This is Syao, my baby brother." Mei Lin pushes him forward. "Syao this is Andy. And that one is Tomo."

Andy shook his hand while Tomo just waved from her side. Mei then introduce her other cousins to the two girls.

"Oh, before I forgot aren't they supposed to be in Kyoto?"

"They're here for the band camp next week."

"Ah, so we'll see you then."

"You're also going?" Eriol gaped.

"Yeah, Andy and I also have a band. They're just not here right now. Actually I had no idea where they are." Tomoyo scowled at that thought.

Andy chuckled at the inner joke she knew. Tomoyo fully glared at her, threatening her to utter a word about it. "We have to go." Tomoyo pushed Andy to the exit. "We need to find Sakura we kinda lost her."

Yuki, Ken and Touya chuckled at her statement. "My sister is not a helpless five year-old. I just saw her outside; she's on her way to the dorm. She says she's dead beat."

"What did you guys do to her?" Ken eyed them suspiciously.

"N-nothing." Andy and Tomoyo answered in chorus. They stare at each other meaningfully and quickly waved goodbye. "Gotta go."

"Poor Kura." Yuki sighed.

"Who's Kura?" Syaoran asked his sister.

"She's Touya's baby sister." Mei supplied. "Actually, she's a year younger than you."

Touya being the brother that he is, "Why are you asking about her?"

"Just curious." Syaoran shrugged.

Touya menacingly walked towards him. Mei Lin instinctively shielded his brother away from Touya. "Well you better stay away from her, you hear me."

"How could I stay away if I don't even know her at all?" Syaoran retorted.

"Touya..." Mei Lin meaningfully eyed Touya.

"Good, it's better that way." Touya backed off.

"Is he always like this?" Eriol inquired.

Ken replied, "He is when it comes to his sister."

"Poor Kura." Yuki sighed again, shaking his head.

- to be continued-

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "Stigmatized" by the band THE CALLING. Thanks please review

Jan 21, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	5. Obsession

**Chapter 5: Obsession**

The light that crept through the window woke the brunette up from his slumber. He placed his guitar in its stand and went downstairs just to be greeted by a blue alien freak. 'Not again.'

"Why hello there my favorite cuz, had a nice beauty sleep?" Syaoran slap his hand as it tried to reach his hair.

"You decided to join us, no?" Eriol teased. "Miss me?"

Stretching his arms to hug him, Syaoran ducked from his reach, "Not in your weirdest wildest dreams! Why the hell am I related to you?"

"Because…" Eriol placed his arms in his cousin's shoulder and another arm threw wild gestures in the air like a proud monkey, "if you weren't related to me, then how can you have my good looks and charming personality, my talent…"

Syaoran tried to wiggle free from his grasp as he goes on boasting and blabbering about his "qualities" which he was certain never existed. But still drowsy from sleep and lack of energy for he hasn't eaten since last night, he had to endure everything he pathetically says. Syaoran sighed as if doomed for the rest of the morning, until thankfully his dear cousin Rika butted in.

"Hey stop your weird morning ritual and look at this," Rika motioned her cousins to come up to her and watch the video in her laptop.

**_Telling Layla's story spoken_**

**_'Bout how all her bones are broken_**

**_Hammers fall on all the pieces_**

**_Two months in the cover creases_**

**_Here she stands today,_**

**_In her brilliant shiny world..._**

**_Fully alive,_**

**_More than most ready to smile,_**

**_(A love life?)_**

**_Fully alive,_**

**_More than most ready to smile,_**

**_(A love life?)_**

"Whoa, who are they?" Miyu asked. "They're good."

"They're really good." Eriol added, squeezing his way through to have a better view.

"Guys, look closer. Can't you recognize these two?" Rika pointed the two familiar girls in the video.

"Andy and Tomo?" Miyu squinted, wildly guessing.

Syaoran gawked in astonishment. "That's them?" Confusion etched on his face, 'Wait a minute, isn't she with convicted minds too? Two bands? Impressive.'

"Yup, I was merely curious so I checked them up on the net and this is what I got. There are a few other videos here too."

Eriol read aloud the details at the information at the side of the video. "It says here, Raging wings members: Ren: lead guitar/back up vocals; Andy: drums/back up vocals; Tomo: bass/vocals; Ikki: rhythm guitar/vocals.

**_All my complaints shrink to nothing_**

**_I'm ashamed of all my somethings_**

**_She's glad for one day of comfort_**

**_Only because she has suffered_**

**_Here she stands today,_**

**_In her brilliant shiny world..._**

**_Fully alive,_**

**_More than most ready to smile,_**

**_(A love life?)_**

**_Fully alive,_**

**_More than most ready to smile,_**

**_(A love life?)_**

"Whoa, they can all sing?" Miyu interjected.

Syaoran gaped at Andy's artistic figure and talent. 'A guitarist and a drummer…'

"No wonder they got into _THE_ camp." Eriol conclude.

Rika added. "They even have their own official website and a couple of other fan sites. It also says here they're all expert with the keyboard, drums and guitar."

Scrutinizing the video Syaoran frowned with the obvious familiarity the members have with each other. 'Are those their boyfriends?'

As if reading his mind, Eriol voiced out his exact question. "Are those two their boyfriends?"

"According to a comment here, it seems that Tomo and Ikki is now officially a couple…" Rika paused. "Just this Monday."

Eriol heaved a sigh miserably while Syaoran rejoiced inwardly. 'Two down at least, there's still those three goofballs in the other band.'

**_Fully alive,_**

**_More than most ready to smile,_**

**_(A love life?)_**

**_Fully alive,_**

**_More than most ready to smile,_**

**_(A love life?)_**

**_Fully alive,_**

**_More than most ready to smile,_**

**_(A love life?)_**

**_Fully alive,_**

**_More than most ready to smile,_**

**_(A love life?)_**

Unknown to them, a raven-haired girl cautiously made her way behind their backs and screamed, "BOO!"

The girls shrieked and the boys jumped from the disturbing freak that sneaked up behind them.

"What the hell!"

Syaoran instantly dropped Eriol who jumped in his arms and glared at her sister. "Are you trying to kill us all by giving us heart attacks?"

The girl just heartily laughed; satisfied from the reactions she got from the group.

"Hey cuz," Rika hugged her. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Tokyo for the benefit concert?"

She smirked at the video on screen and said, "Jeez, you just sounded like our parents. And nope, it got canceled a week ago coz we're going to be your facilitators in the camp."

"What? When? How come I didn't know that?" Syaoran interrogated her sister, and his eyes narrowed suspicious of his sister's motives.

Ignoring his brother, "They're good aren't they?"

"Huh?"

"Didn't know you're that obsessed to _Google_ them up." She smiled slyly at her brother.

"I—"

"It's Andy isn't it?" Mei Lin caught the blush his brother was forcing to hide. 'Though Kura would be a perfect match for him.'

Rika and Miyu laughed hysterically also ignoring their cousin's venomous glare.

Shrugging from her thoughts, Mei Lin chuckled along with her cousins. She then looked at Eriol eyes still locked on the video. "And you, with Tomo?"

Hearing her name, made Eriol snapped back to reality. "What about Tomo?" he asked curiously.

Mei Lin ignored him and changed the subject. "You should know that they're not the only ones with videos on the net."

"What do you mean?" Miyu inquired tensely, sensing something suspicious behind Mei Lin's words.

Mei Lin gently shoved Rika out of her chair and typed calmly to annoy the impatient teens more. A video feed of their performance last school fair (which was just a week before) in Kyoto appeared in the screen.

"You did this?" Syaoran pointed at the screen.

She nodded. "Mei Lin!" They yelled.

Mei Lin uncovers her ears and rubbed her temples from the painful yell that she just received from four annoyed teenagers. She calmly sat down at the couch smiling like an insane clown.

"So care to explain?" Syaoran crossed his arms in his chest and gave his sister a deathly glare.

"Nope," shaking her head, blowing her nails from the invisible dust.

"What… the… young lady where have you been for the last whole week? You were supposed to be in Nagoya on that day? Why didn't you inform us about your return? Where did you—"

"Hold up," Mei Lin flicked her hand, palm facing his face, gesturing him to stop, "I'm your older sister so don't you dare raise your voice at me and I don't have to explain anything to you. I'm old enough to do whatever I want to do." Mei Lin returned the glare to his brother.

Syaoran huffed and looked out the window, realizing fighting with her older sister wouldn't do any good. He never win with her anyway, just a waste of energy to do so.

"But Mei, why did you post our performance on the internet?" Miyu curiously inquired.

"No particular reason, just want to boast my cute little brother and his minions to the world." Mei Lin teased a seething Syaoran.

Miyu pouted. "We're not his minions."

"No, seriously Mei," Rika asked.

"I am serious." The three sweats dropped animatedly.

Unaffected with what her cousin was implying, like it was a very normal thing, Eriol sat beside Mei Lin put an arm around her shoulder, "So Mei-mei where did you stay in those particular days and why did you not inform us?"

She looked up at Syaoran who is apparently irritated by this, faced Eriol and answered, "Well, I was with the band at Touya's place since his grandparent's house was empty at that time. And I…"

"You're what?! You were with that _GAKI_ all along?" Syaoran shouted, burning up with anger.

Mei Lin winced with his reaction but kept a mischievous smile knowing very well his brother's behavior towards men around her. Rika, Miyu and Eriol quickly covered their ears, anticipating more of Syaoran's outbursts.

"I told you to stay away from that _GAKI_, his nothing but a hormonal perv and a…"

Mei Lin stood up and covered Syaoran's mouth from any more blabbering. "I can obviously protect myself from that perv and for your info I have no choice, his one of my band mates so I can't stay away. You know clearly that I hate him."

Syaoran gradually loosen up and hugged her sister protectively. Mei Lin chuckled at this but hug him in return. "Mom and Dad even knew about it and they didn't have a fit about it. Jeez you're even worst than them."

"Kawaii," Eriol yelled dreamily.

Eight pairs of eyes stared at him.

"Kawaii? Dude, are you finally losing it?" Miyu voiced out.

Rika waved her hands in front of his face trying to snap him from his reverie. But Eriol, who seems so preoccupied, did not hear Miyu nor noticed Rika's hand and just beamed at his cousins.

"Guess that's a yes. No wonder he is insanely vain lately." Rika thought loudly.

"And clingy," Syaoran added.

Shrugging from his indifference, Mei Lin smirked. "Oh Well, that's our Eriol."

* * *

"Syao, dude, you alright? What are you doing here?" a midnight blue hair teen, asked, teasingly poking his ribs just for the fun of it.

"I was fine awhile ago until you came." He smirked at his annoying cousin who had bugged him again. 'Just when I thought I could have some peace and quiet, he suddenly pops out of nowhere. Talk about great timing.'

"Aww… that hurts!" he mocked, scrunching his face like in too much pain and clutching his chest with both hands.

"Doesn't seem like it." Syaoran pointed out and rolled his eyes. "Tell me, what do you want now so that I could have a decent time _alone_?"

Eriol heaved his shoulders up stiffly, "nothing", he innocently said, swaying like a shy little girl. "The guys were wondering where the heck you were, the party has begun hours ago. And…"

"And, what," he raised one of his eyebrows. Anticipating what Eriol's next question, he closed his eyes and attempts to suppress his smirk. "That I have a rendezvous with one of the fans?"

Taken aback and restraining his shock of Syao predicting the exact words that haunted him while looking for him, Eriol defensively countered, "Well, yeah, dude you're known for that. Heck, every end of the gig, a bunch of girls follows you around and you just pick one out of the bunch randomly like some kind of a raffle or something."

"Why, thank you for pointing it out," he said with sarcasm dripping in every word he said, sitting up straight, back against the trunk of the tree.

"It's as if you haven't done that every time too. You're shock I'm not with anyone right now?" Not waiting for an answer he continued, "Well its one of those days…"

Eriol's eyes widened in astonishment, "What you have a-a period..." Eriol stuttered as he ridicule his favorite cousin to the extreme, while grinning from ear to ear. He then felt numb on his right cheek when a fist swiftly touched it.

"You just have to say that, don't you? I'm not playing for the other team. Do I look like a girl to you?" Syaoran completely annoyed from Eriol's stupid remarks, shook Eriol so hard his glasses slip to his nose, waiting for an answer.

Eriol totally unaffected with the warning punch still bravely continued teasing his cousin. "Well not really, sort of. You-"

"What do you mean sort of?" Syaoran grabbed Eriol's collars now really livid at him, almost choking his cousin to death.

As quickly as he grabbed his cousin's throat, he loosens his grip and allows Eriol to talk, shoving him away from him.

Caught in between expectation and disappointment, Eriol rubbed his soar neck, "Let me finish will yah? You have mood swings like a girl in period, you love shopping and you're a vain, sensitive neat-freak."

Syaoran began to advance again but Eriol quickly back away and outstretch his hands palm facing Syaoran, gesturing him to calm down and let him finish, "Jeez, dude you're so easy to piss off. I'm just messing with you."

"Then stop messing around. I'm already in a mess?" Syaoran slumped at the couch and grabbed the laptop, staring blankly at it.

"What? With her?" Eriol pointed out the girl in the video his cousin was watching in his laptop.

Getting no response from him, Eriol shuts down the laptop and place it in a safe place before his cousin go berserk again.

"You really had it bad." Eriol shook his head in sympathy. "Dude, this isn't healthy. You're way too obsessed with her. Just go talk to her."

Syaoran just sighed. 'Not just with her.'

- to be continued-

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "Fully Alive" by the band FLYLEAF. Thanks please review

Jan 31, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	6. Apprehension

**Chapter 6: Apprehension **

Sakura woke up to a hyper Tomoyo jumping on her bed with her video camera. "Babe, give it a rest will yah?"

"But we need to get ready and head to the camp; our school's this year's sponsor."

"So? Ikki's still here. I'll take his place tomorrow remember? If there's nothing else, could you please leave me here in my soft comfortable bed?" Sakura grabbed her comforter and hide underneath it, trying to get back to her much needed rest.

Tomoyo carefully shuts off her camera and placed it on the side table. She then gently uncovers Sakura's face from the comforter as Sakura fought for it.

Losing the tug-of-war and taking her last ounce of patience she then screamed at her cousin, "Sakura Kinomoto! If you don't get up this instant, I swear I'll make the rest of your life a living hell."

"It's already hell what could you possibly do to make it worse?" Tomoyo scowled at her that sent shivers into her spine, Tomoyo never use her full name unless she's really furious and you don't want to cross a fuming Tomoyo.

Sakura surrendered to Tomoyo's glares and groggily sat, "Okay, fine you win."

Like nothing happened, Tomoyo was back to her old self, "Great! Go get a shower. I already packed your guitar and other stuff…" Tomoyo pulls her to her feet. "And wait till you see the whole wardrobe of Ikki disguises I made for you."

Sakura sighed in hopelessness and went to the bathroom.

* * *

A grumpy man in a black and white horizontal stripes shirt and baggy jeans yelled, "Where the hell is she? I can't believe she just disappeared."

Ken their guitarist/vocalist dressed in a white wife beater top and black faded jeans spoke, "You just can't believed, she got away from you. C'mon Touya, give her some space and don't stalked her all the time. You're scaring the shit out of her."

Touya huffed and starts pacing around. "But, still… she's late and we had to go on stage in ten minutes."

A man tapped his shoulder, "Dude, stop whining and chill out, she'll be here and Ken is right." Touya rolled his eyes.

"Hmm… whatever…" Ken and Yuki just smiled at his behavior.

"Hey guys…" a giddy voice greeted. "What?" she yelled stunned from the glares she's receiving. 'What's up with this week, I've been receiving glares the whole week.'

"You're late the orientation started thirty minutes ago. Be thankful there are other bands here to cover for us."

"I'm here aren't I? So pull your panties on and let's go." Mei Lin retorted and grabbed her bass.

Touya just scowled and followed her.

**_Betray!_**

**_The Avalon is always beside me_**

**_And I'm following it home_**

**_Where is my home?_**

"I really don't think I can do this Tomo."

"Why what's bothering you?" Tomoyo inquired.

"Do you really think I can pull it off? I'm not talking about the disguises." Sakura paused. "Do you really think I could play that well like Ikki?"

Ren pat her head tenderly, giving her a brotherly advice. "Don't doubt yourself kiddo. You're really talented just don't push yourself too hard."

Sakura stopped walking and bowed to hide her flushed face from the flattery she received from Ren. Ren is a man of few words and never in her life did she expect him, (her guitar icon next to his brother) to say that to her.

"T-thanks." She stammered but when she looks up they were gone.

**_Orion glows_**

**_And his eye open up_**

**_I once believed I would set you in line_**

Lost again in the sea of strangers, Sakura tried to make her way to the opposite side of the field. She was earlier trailing behind her cousins and unfortunately loses sight of them.

"Damn where did they go?" She curse, voice drowned at the noise of the audience.

Sakura squeezed her way through the crowd and finally reach an unexpected clearing. Huffing in exhaustion, she paused and then resumed her brisk walking. Sakura still as clumsy as ever, bump into a few bystanders. She muttered apologies through her walk without sparing a glance at their faces.

An auburn blur ran into him and muttered a quick apology without looking at him. Syaoran glare at its retreating back and return to his cousins' little squabble. 'That was rude.'

Realization hit him as he remembered where he had seen the girl before. 'Emerald eyes… kiss.'

Syaoran attempted to follow the auburn girl as he also made his way to what he thought the direction that girl had gone into.

**_If only I had the strength you'd be completely accepting something else_**

**_If you keep asking me I'll melt away in the summer air_**

**_It won't hurt half as much and I'll beg for you to please stop it now_**

**_If you keep asking me I'll melt away in the summer air_**

**_It won't hurt half as much and I'll beg for you to just tell me something_**

"Finally, why the hell didn't you wait for me?" Sakura scolded at her cousin Tomoyo.

Tomoyo turned around to her panting cousin, "I thought you were just behind us. I never noticed you'd got lost until now."

"Gee, thanks for the concern." Sakura scowled, sulking from the lack of attention.

Ren notice her brooding mood and replied sympathetically, "We're really sorry but we have a huge problem right now."

"Huh?"

"We've lost Andy and Ikki too, and we're about to perform next to Touya's." Ren informed her.

"What?"

**_The fluid through the alpha waves and power cables everywhere_**

**_Exercising self-control_**

**_The child calls_**

**_And she lies open_**

**_I once believed "if only I'd been thinking at all"_**

"Where is she?" Syaoran spun around. "Where did she go?"

"Oh sorry."

Baffled, Syaoran glance at his left as another one rudely bumped into him. This time his quick reflexes helped him to stop the person from free-falling. He grabbed its elbow and spun it. Realizing, it wasn't a guy, he immediately let go of her to avoid further inappropriate accusation on his part.

"Syaoran? I'm really sorry."

Syaoran squinted trying to decipher the girl in the hood. When the girl released her hood familiar auburn locks flowed.

"Andy c'mon lets go." A medium built guy grabbed her hand and led her away from him. Syaoran just gawked at them too stunned to move. 'Her boyfriend?'

'What the hell? Am I being played at?' Frustrated, Syaoran scratch his nape in irritation. 'First, the Emerald eyed girl and then Andy, his current crush?' Syaoran shook his head. 'Damn, I'm losing it.'

**_If only I had the strength you'd be completely accepting something else_**

**_If you keep asking me I'll melt away in the summer air_**

**_It won't hurt half as much and I'll beg for you to please stop it now_**

**_If you keep asking me I'll melt away in the summer air_**

**_It won't hurt half as much and I'll beg for you just tell me something_**

"Where the hell have you guys been?" Tomoyo scowled at them.

Ren being he's usual observant self notice Andy's arm. "What's that?"

Andy reddened and bowed her head in shame. Ikki answered for her, "Andy's arm is sore, someone accidentally bumped into her and another had stepped on it."

Tomoyo blanched.

Ikki continued, "She can't play. If she stubbornly attempted to play today it might get worse. The paramedics back there said that she should rest it for the day."

"I'm really sorry guys." Andy sheepishly apologized, embarrassed from her carelessness.

Tomoyo, Ren and Sakura approached her sympathetically and try to soothe her growing frustration.

Tomoyo rubbed her back trying her best to comfort her. "It's okay, it's an accident."

"Try to rest, don't worry we'll find a way." Ren reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder affectionately.

Having no idea how to console her, Sakura just hugged her.

"Sakura!" Andy yelled as realization hit her.

"Ye-yes…" Sakura stuttered. 'I'm sensing something bad is gonna happen.'

Andy cheerfully stated. "You can replace me."

"What?"

**_If only I had the strength you'd be completely accepting something else_**

**_If you keep asking me I'll melt away in the summer air_**

**_It won't hurt half as much and I'll beg for you to please stop it now_**

**_If you keep asking me I'll melt away in the summer air_**

**_It won't hurt half as much and I'll beg for you just tell me something_**

"No way!"

"Please Kura, just for a few minutes on stage." Andy pleaded; grab hold of Ikki's hand for support as she tried to kneel in front of Sakura.

Ikki pulled her up instead and help her persuade his cousin. "You could really pull it off, same hair color, almost same height and built. No one will notice."

"Yeah, just wear a cap and you'll get away with it." Ren added to their defense.

"You can wear this." Andy pathetically tried to remove her hooded sweatshirt but failed miserably. Tomoyo assist her gently as to not add further damage the bandaged arm.

Sakura faced Ikki and reminded her cousin. "You've got to be kidding me? I'm posing as you remember?"

"No, that'll start tomorrow." Tomoyo countered cheekily.

"Hey, this is not fair, four against one." Sakura pouted, feeling somewhat cheated and defeated again. 'Is this what déjà vu felt like?'

**_You swore_**

**_Out like my life_**

**_You cried_**

**_So I'm engaged to smile_**

"Please, please Kura. I'll do anything." Andy desperately bargained.

Sakura tried to reason her way out. "But I don't know the drummer's part."

"Then I'll take the drums, you play my chords." Ren suggested, turning down her only valid reason.

Trying to come up with another excuse, Sakura attempted to play dumb to buy out some time from the inevitable, "What?! B-but that part… I can't—"

"Yes, you can. You've played that song on one of your gigs, please Kura for us." Tomoyo then begged something Sakura never dreamed of seeing. '_That_ desperate.'

"You're the best guitarist I know. And you can pull it off as Andy could." Ikki encouraged more as he could see his cousin's defense crumbling.

'This… this isn't normal…' Looking around at their pitiful faces she finally crumbled. 'I can't take it anymore…'

Sakura sighed, nodded and grunted. "Oh, crap."

- to be continued-

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "I Can Tell" by the band SAOSIN. Thanks please review

Feb 8, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	7. Orientation

**Chapter 7: Orientation**

'Since the school is the host of the camp this year. The school's representative band would play the last performance of the day which is unfortunately I'm now stuck with. I knew something wrong was going to happen. I knew it and yet I give in to my cousin's insistent pleadings and persuasive tricks. Gee, talk about bad luck. I can't believe they got me into doing this. What if I forget a chord? Shit! Pull yourself together Sakura. You can do this. Inhale exhale. Well, here it goes.' Sakura heaved another sigh before getting on stage.

**_It always seemed that I was sorry for the things that I did,_**

**_But never did a thing about it 'til I let you in._**

**_It's kinda funny about the time that I was falling apart._**

**_You came and put me back together, now._**

**_'Cause what I want_**

**_And what I need_**

**_Has now become the same thing_**

**_You've been offering._**

**_As days go by,_**

**_I've finally become what you want me to be._**

"That's not Andy up there." Yuki curiously declared sensing something odd with his sister.

Staring intently at the said guitarist, Ken wildly guessed. "Is that squirt?"

"It is Kura." Mei Lin gasped as she too recognized the girl hiding in the hood of her shirt.

"Kajuu? No way, she's not supposed to be here?" Touya vehemently disagreed. 'But Andy's forte is the drums. That brat won't give Ren the chance to bring the house down if she can't help it.'

Ken pointed out the familiar position she's playing her guitar with. "But that's squirt, no doubt. Besides why would Ren give up that guitar chords to Andy when he had the chance to show off."

"Her guitar stance…" Yuki confirmed his friend's assumption.

"I taught her that." Touya gaped. 'What are you up to, kajuu?'

**_I still remember all the stupid things that I've said and done,_**

**_But still, you stuck around with me when all your friends said, "Run!"_**

**_Givin' me a name, I found myself inside all the flames._**

**_Becoming everything for you again_**

"I-it's her." Syaoran blurted unconsciously. 'Another live performance and she's playing the guitar again instead of the drums.'

"Wow they're really good!" Miyu complemented totally oblivious of her cousins' obsessive trances.

Eriol who was also hooked by the enchanting raven-head bassist added. "They're better than the video."

"Eww… that's disgusting wipe your mouths." Rika yelled disgusted with her cousins' drooling states.

**_'Cause what I want_**

**_And what I need_**

**_Has now become the same thing_**

**_You've been offering._**

**_As days go by,_**

**_I've finally become what you want me to be._**

Ren noticed the tense atmosphere surrounding Sakura. Trying to break it, "Kura chill will yah? You're doing great."

"Easy for you to say." Sakura playfully glowered. "Why do you have to pick this song?"

"Duh, the amazing guitar chords." Ren teased, chuckling with her silly attempt at scowling at him.

"Ha-ha very funny."

Tomoyo added and give furtive glances to her other band mates. "I promise we'll make it up to you."

"You better." Sakura finally relaxed and smiled.

Ren smirked while Tomoyo laughed at her childish answer. "Ready?"

"Hmm…" Sakura uttered and just nodded, trying to focus on the upcoming chords.

Ikki heard his band mates and cousin's conversation. He gave Sakura a side glance, a quick smile and wink at her.

**_Don't tell me you saw it all along._**

**_God help me, I never knew it alone._**

**_Guess I was wrong._**

Syaoran saw the wink Ikki gave to her. A strange strong feeling surged into his blood and glared at the unaware vocalist. But this intensity was broken by a sudden guitar solo performed by none other than Andy herself, or so he thought. We all know who it really was except for him.

Agape in awe and eyes bulging out of its sockets, he sighed in admiration. 'She really is something.' He never expected her to be this brilliant, good enough to be an equal.

His three cousins and band members, finally notice his state when Andy started to play the solo. A similar thought run across their minds as they watch amusedly their cousin's reactions. 'He found his match.'

**_What I want_**

**_And what I need_**

**_Has now become the same thing_**

**_You've been offering._**

**_As days go by,_**

**_I've finally become what you want me to be._**

"No offense Yuki but that solo rules out Andy completely." Ken commented suddenly. They knew Sakura is a better guitarist than Andy and that guitar solo even if it's short gives away the proof that it really was Sakura on stage.

"If that's Sakura, what happened to Andy?" Mei Lin pondered loudly.

"You don't think something bad happened to her do you?" Yuki worriedly scanned the crowd for his sister.

"I hope not. I really hope not." Mei Lin replied anxiously staring at Sakura. She knows Sakura would never take Andy's place without a very sensible reason behind it. 'But what is Kura doing here in the first place?'

Although worried with Andy, Touya was really furious with her sister for sneaking up in the camp without his consent. 'You'll really get it this time, squirt.'

**_And what I need_**

**_Has now become the same thing_**

**_You've been offering._**

**_You've taken me,_**

**_And shaped me to become what you want me to be_**

As the orientation was concluded to a close an interesting conversation took place some where at the edge of the forest.

"Is this some kind of a sick joke?

"No"

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Uh... I want to surprise you?"

"Are you sick or something, you almost gave us four a heart attack?"

"Well that could be arranged nii-chan!"

"Why haven't you told me?" He paused trying to think of a reason. "Huh, you thought you could get away with it, didn't you?"

"Uh, of course not. That would be ridiculous."

"Is it?" Touya sauntered forward to his sister.

"Look nii-chan, Ikki's really desperate. He really needed that scholarship. You can understand that right? And the act earlier is because Andy was badly hurt. I really have no choice."

"So you'd agree without my consent?"

"Why should I get my consent from you?"

"Duh, I'm your brother. Aren't I?"

"I already told dad, plus you might blew up my cover."

"You told dad and you didn't… What made you think I would do that anyway?"

"You're my brother. Brothers tend to do something overprotective and you might compromise my cover."

"I—No, I still forbid you… You have no idea that…"

"Well even if I don't want to, I have too! Don't worry I'm a black belter, I still got the moves!"

"Bu-but… but..."

"Bye onii-chan, see you later." Sakura scampered leaving his brother before he could even utter a single word.

Touya scowled at the empty space where her sister was just at a few minutes ago. "No, kajuu see you very soon."

* * *

"We're what?"

"Roommates."

"Why the—"

"Uh… Because we're _boys_?" Ren continued. "The girls have their own cottage. And we have to share this cottage with two more boys from another band."

"What? Where's Ikki? He didn't tell me about this. I'm gonna kill that son—"

"Chill, kiddo. He's already gone. He left an hour ago, didn't he tell you." Ren paused realizing something. "Oh right, you have to prepare for the switched. We can't have two Ikkis at the same time that would be repulsive." Ren shrugged out from that thought.

Pacing around the room, he continued. "Come to think of it, this would be the first after two years attending this camp. It's always been one cottage per band. We never expected this would be the arrangement for this year."

"Damn."

"Guess, some of the facilitators this year we're a bit conservative." Ren mocked knowing too well who would have changed the rules aggressively.

"You think." Sakura bit back sarcastically. "We're talking of Touya here."

As if by fate, the subject of their discussion entered the room with two buddies in tow. "Kajuu, you're coming with me." Touya caught her off-guard and grabbed her.

Recovering from the blow, Sakura shoved it away stubbornly backing away from him. "And where would that be?"

"You're bunking with me?" Touya growled at her sister, again advancing at her sister.

Yuki placed himself between the two. "Touya she can't be seen in the facilitator's cottage. The band might be falsely accused of buying off the facilitators or something and get kicked out."

"And besides, you're making it more suspicious by treating squirt here differently." Ken added and got beside Yuki, shielding Sakura from his seething brother.

Making a wall out of their bodies, Ren joined the two. "She's your cousin and not your sister, remember?"

"But she's bunking with the gaki."

"Who?" Sakura asked confusedly, looking at her brother, Yuki, Ken and Ren for an answer.

Ren countered. "Touya, I'm still here. You know Kura's like a little sister to me too. I'll never let anything happened to her."

"Bu-but…"

"Onii-chan, it's just for a few days. And Ren would never leave me alone with those two roommates of ours." Sakura paused. "Besides you're cottage is just nearby."

"Bu-but…"

"Squirt's a black belt holder, dude. Give her a break to beat some guys up." Ken teased.

Touya truly annoyed by the ganging up of his peers and siding with her sister, grabbed Sakura's wig in irritation. "Take this off. And where's that damn Ikki? When I get a hold of him… I'll…"

Touya was cut-off as the door opened.

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "What I Want" by the band DAUGHTRY. Thanks please review.

Feb 14, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	8. Delusion

**Chapter 8: Delusion**

"What the—" Eriol gaped at the number of occupants in their assigned room while Syaoran expectedly growled at them all.

"What the hell are you doing in our room?" Syaoran gave his fiercest glare to each one of the somewhat familiar faces standing quite stunned at their entrance.

'Oh, shit!'

Recovering from the shock, he finally recognizes almost everyone except for the persons who were standing behind a somewhat improvised wall of hot guys. Instead of getting furious like his cousin, Eriol cheerfully pointed out their identity, still in awe with the band's earlier performance. "Dude, its Busted Halo minus Mei-mei…"

They just nodded once, stayed still and quiet, trying not to draw any more unwanted attention.

"Well?" Syaoran asked rather impatiently.

"We're just here to check the bunk and cottage assignment." Yuki quickly supplied.

"Oh?"

Supporting Yuki's excuse Ken then introduce them to their roommates, "Syaoran… Eriol, these are you're roommates, Ikki and Ren of Raging Wings."

Upon the sudden entrance of their so-called roommates, with quick inborn reflexes Ren grabbed the wig from Touya and hid behind them dragging Sakura in tow. He quickly fix Sakura's wig before giving way for her to acknowledge the introduction.

She just bows and return to her refuge behind the wall of her biological brother and wannabe brothers. Ren amusedly stand still to shelter her in her hiding place and just gave a short wave to the newcomers.

Eriol return the wave to Ren and glare at Ikki. Syaoran, on the other hand, didn't even move a muscle and just scowl at the same direction of his cousin's glare.

Sakura feeling a little uneasy peek from her hiding place and fully receive the death glares they're giving, thinking, 'What the hell? Am I busted already?'

An awkward silence then reigned in the room.

Only after five minutes of painstaking torture of silence and negative tension, did Touya decide to break it. "I guess we're off then to the other cottage. Just follow the rules posted behind the door."

Ken, Ren and Yuki exchange curious glances and just nod at each other as their gesture of saying goodbye. Touya approach her sister and whisper, "Don't hesitate to kick their ass kajuu."

He then gave a meaningful warning glance at the two members of Wolf Drifters before walking out of the door. Too bad, they didn't even notice it; still busy glaring at one of their roommates.

Ken and Yuki quickly pat her back and head, whisper reassurances and good luck, and followed Touya.

Walking behind Touya, Ken asked Yuki the question that's been nagging him since they hurriedly left. "One minute his having a fit like a toddler throwing a tantrum for not having his way… And then a scowling prince who seems to be unusually relieved?"

Yuki amusedly answer, "Didn't you notice the glares those two were throwing at Sakura A.K.A. Ikki?"

Ken shook his head. He didn't notice the reaction of Mei Lin's relatives for he was so anxious of hiding Sakura's disheveled look from them.

"Touya's relieved that those two would ignore his sister throughout camp due to some unknown hatred and would not inflict any harm she can't handle."

But before Ken could comment, Touya growled at them, "Will you two hurry up? We still have a lot of things to prepare for tomorrow."

Back at the room the tension didn't falter a bit. Growing weary being Sakura's shield, Ren turned to Sakura and whispered. "Hey kiddo, you alright? Let's unpack and get the hell out of here and practice for tomorrow. Okay?"

Sakura nodded and quietly unpack when someone voice out "that's my bunk." She slowly turn and again receive their death glares before transferring her stuff on the upper bunk since Ren had already settled on the other bunk along with their other roommate.

Realizing who she was bunking with, she hesitated. 'If I make a fuss about it… I would only create unnecessary attention and suspicion.' She tried to shrug her tenseness and resume unpacking.

Quietly, she hurriedly unpacked her things, bolted out of the door and waited for Ren. Sakura sat down on the two flight stairs of their cabin, and asked the sky, 'Of all roommates you could give me. Why him?'

* * *

After their band practice for tomorrow's event, Sakura gently tugged Tomoyo away from the group. Tomoyo sensing her uneasiness anxiously ask her what's wrong. Sakura threw off any doubts she's having and try to confront it while also convincing herself that telling Tomoyo would be the best move for her. (Oh, how wrong she was.)

Sakura stuttered, not knowing how to start with it. "Re-remember the time I got lost at Touya's gig. S-something happened before I decided bolting out on you guys."

Tomoyo's eyebrows perked up in interest and just let her cousin continue with her story. "I kinda got pushed around by the crowd and bumped into a guy. We fell and…"

Sakura flushed so lost on how to continue with it. Might as well be done with it, "we accidentally kissed."

Tomoyo squealed in delight, "Is he cute? Good-looking? Hot? Do we know him?" She asked eagerly making Sakura more nervous than ever.

"Yeah, he's my roommate."

"WHAT?" Sakura shushed her cousin and gently pushed her against the tree to stop her from throwing another squeal of excitement.

Sadly, a pair of blue eyes saw it in a different light. 'So the rumors are true.'

"Damn it!"

"Hey, you okay?" One of his cousins asked him suddenly. He didn't realize that he had cursed loudly.

"It's nothing Miyu. Let's go."

* * *

"Tomo, will you ease up a bit. There's nobody around to role play that we are an item." Sakura pleaded at her cousin who is still currently clinging into her on their way to the main hall.

"We should be prepared my dear boyfriend. Someone might just pop out of nowhere, and caught us off guard." Tomoyo countered adjusting her grip to her "so-called" boyfriend's arm.

Sakura groaned and try to tear off her cousin's arm from her now numb arm. After successfully getting it off, she bounced to the unsuspecting Andy. She put an arm around her shoulder and whispered to her ear. "You'll pay for this…"

She was cut off by the hyper fake girlfriend who again tore her off Andy and dragged her like a doll to their destination.

Ren sighed, "Tomo, give him a break before you totally break him." But Tomoyo never heeded his advice and just continued dragging Sakura like a toy. He shook his head in pity. 'Poor Kura.'

A few feet away, a set of amber eyes and blue eyes, stared seething at their antics. Too bad, they didn't hear a thing.

Though one thing was common on what they thought it was.

'That damn player.'

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Hey guys thanks for the reviews. I really do need a beta/editor for me to be able to release the chapters soon. Anyone interested? Please PM me. Thanks again.

Feb 22, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	9. Introduction

**Chapter 9: Introduction**

**_Speak to me_**

**_Tell me something so typical_**

**_A lullaby or something miserable_**

**_That will keep me up at night_**

**_Cross out my eyes_**

**_I know you planned it_**

**_You know I love you_**

**_And I can't stand it_**

**_We just lost control_**

**_We just lost control_**

"Damn it we're late again." Ren scowled at Tomoyo who's calmly fixing her bass strap on her.

Andy glowered at the same direction. "Whose fault is it?"

"What? Don't look at me." Tomoyo innocently replied, feigning her awareness of the situation.

"If you haven't literally drag Ikki here, he wouldn't be in this mess. It's a miracle he could still stand." Ren snorted angrily, living up to Touya's overprotective side.

Grateful that they arrived, Sakura immediately slumped to the ground for some needed rest. She was plainly dragged like a rag doll by her fake girlfriend the whole morning. Andy tended to her side immediately, afraid for someone to recognize Sakura without her cap. Luckily the wig was still intact on her head.

"Hey, it's not my fault he's that clumsy."

**_Lie to me_**

**_Give me something worth living for_**

**_Tell me a reason worth fighting for_**

**_Give me anything_**

**_Anything to keep me breathing_**

**_Lie to me_**

**_Give me something worth living for_**

**_Tell me a reason worth fighting for (fighting for)_**

**_Give me anything (anything)_**

**_Anything to keep me breathing_**

Syaoran stared longingly at Andy, who was still busy nursing the player and not paying any attention to their performance. 'What's he got that I don't?'

Unknown to him, he wasn't the only one staring. Eriol too was busy glaring at the same direction he was paying attention to. He can't believe that someone like that player could have someone like Tomoyo. 'What's so special about that guy anyway?'

**_Lie to me_**

**_Tell me a story so beautiful_**

**_An epic of something so terrible_**

**_That it makes me weep_**

**_Cross out these days on your calendar_**

**_It hurts me so much_**

**_And I'm not quite sure_**

**_I care anymore_**

**_I care anymore_**

As Ren and Andy prepared their instruments, Sakura asked Tomoyo for some advice again about her problem. "Tomo, what should I do about it?"

"You'll be fine. You know the chords right?" Tomoyo encouraged.

"N-no, it's not that… A-about him…" Sakura fidgeted and look at the vocalist on stage, gesturing to Tomoyo about her certain problem about a certain someone.

"Oh… that." Tomoyo innocently replied hiding her mischievous smile from her. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. Okay?" Tomoyo hugged her cousin in reassurance and smirk.

"Really?" Sakura elatedly asked. Tomoyo just nodded and Sakura sighed in relief, thinking everything would be alright. Or so she thought.

**_Lie to me_**

**_Give me something worth living for_**

**_Tell me a reason worth fighting for (fighting for)_**

**_Give me anything (anything)_**

**_Anything to keep me breathing_**

**_Lie to me_**

**_Give me something worth living for_**

**_Tell me a reason worth dying for (dying for)_**

**_Give me anything (anything)_**

**_Anything to keep me breathing_**

Eriol seething at the scene on the side of the stage almost made a mistake on his chords. 'What does she see in him? Stupid player.'

"Oi quit the PDA-thing. We're up next." Andy yelled at them.

In spite of the loud music blaring around him, the comment of his current obsession was clearly heard. 'Damn! She's jealous?'

Syaoran quickly shot the guy another glare before finishing off the song and plot retribution on the damn player. Unfortunately, the receiver of the glare didn't have a clue of what he did.

**_Lie to me_**

**_Give me something worth living for_**

**_Tell me a reason worth fighting for (fighting for)_**

**_Give me anything (anything)_**

**_Anything to keep me breathing_**

**_Lie to me_**

**_Give me something worth living for_**

**_Tell me a reason worth dying for (dying for)_**

**_Give me anything (anything)_**

**_Anything to keep me breathing_**

"What's wrong with them?" Mei Lin pondered loudly.

"With who?"

"Them." Mei Lin nod to the band's direction performing on the stage.

"Huh…" Touya replied smugly, perceptive as he always was. Knowing that she won't get a straight answer from him, she turned to the others.

"They're distracted." Yuki amusedly answer her without taking off his attention on the scene at the side of the stage.

"With what?" Mei Lin still oblivious with the matter that persisted.

"It's not a what. It's with who…" Ken corrected her assumption and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Then who?"

Ken didn't reply but instead nod at the direction on the group at the side of the stage. Mei Lin finally grasping the situation just smirked. Mischievous plans forming in her head. 'I've got to talk to Tomoyo later.'

**_Anything to keep me breathing_**

**_Anything to keep me breathing_**

"Will you stop fidgeting?" Loosing patience, Tomoyo hissed between her teeth while pretending to hug her though quite too tightly for any comfort.

"I can't help it. I'm having a nervous breakdown. What if they found out about—"

Andy, also fed up with her anxiousness, turned Sakura to face her almost too violently that her wig almost fell off. "Get a grip. Now's not the time to be hysterical. Pull yourself together."

"Kiddo, don't mind these two." Ren gently pulled Sakura from the two girls ganging up on her making the pressure in her chest more abundant than before instead of helping her getting rid of it. Ren rubbed her shoulders trying to shake away the anxiety in her. "Okay, now just breathe kiddo."

Sakura breathe in relief. She didn't notice she's been holding her breath for that long. Sakura disguised as Ikki hugged Ren gratefully. Ren sheepishly tap her shoulder to get her attention, "Uh… Kiddo, this is uh… awkward you're a guy remember."

Sakura quickly let go of him and scratch her head. "My bad." She faintly chuckle.

"Don't sweat it. C'mon it's already our turn." Sakura nod and follow him.

"And from Nagoya University, our very own Raging Wings…"

**_We've tried so hard to understand, but we can't._**

**_We held the world out in our hands and you ran away._**

**_It takes some time to let you go and it shows._**

'Damn! Is he a man-whore or something? He's involved with all his band mates?' Eriol shrugged in disgust with the rhythm guitarist. He saw the little scene the player had with his guy band mate before going up the stage.

'I'll expose you for the player you are and save her from your playboy clutches.' He solemnly swore to himself.

"Eli, are you alright? Who are you glaring at?" Miyu tap his shoulders, temporarily stopping his growing rage for the guy.

"I-it's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Miyu asked her cousin again, worried from the aura his emitting. It was really rare to see Eriol brooding at something or rather someone.

Eriol just nodded stiffly. Miyu peered at her cousin, not entirely buying his answer. 'Hope it's really nothing.'

**_Cause all we know is falling, it falls._**

**_Remember how, cause I know that we won't forget at all._**

**_Now we can follow you back home but we won't._**

**_Is this what you had waited for? Just to be alone?_**

'The squirt seems to be pulling it off.' Touya mused. 'Except for the stance.' He scanned the crowd from any suspicious stare that was thrown at her sister. 'Guess no one will notice except for us.' He shrugged and relaxed.

"Kura's pulling it off." Yuki tap Touya's shoulder, encouraging him not to be too anxious about it.

"She seems to enjoy it rather than what we've expected her to be." Ken muse at the girl on stage, rather a girl in a guy's disguise that he treated like his little sister.

"Yeah, I really thought she might back out awhile ago." Mei Lin reminisce the amusing scene before the band's performance.

"I did too." Touya agreed silently, watching her sister on stage proudly. 'You've really grown up.'

**_It takes some time to let you go and it shows._**

**_Cause all we know is falling, it falls._**

**_Remember how, cause I know that we won't forget at all._**

Ren close the gap between him and Sakura. "You're doing great kiddo." She smiled at him gratefully still too nervous to say anything.

She slightly turned to see the drummer's reaction of her performance so far. Andy grin, mouth an apology, and wink at her. 'If it's the real Ikki, he would have swooned on that.' Sakura chuckle amusedly at that thought. His cousin has been madly in-love with Andy since the seventh grade.

Sakura then was nudged by their vocalist to get her attention. Tomoyo whispered quickly before singing the next lines. "Just try to enjoy it. Sorry for the pressure earlier."

Sakura just smile and continue playing.

**_You never, you never said_**

**_This wasn't what you wanted, was it? Was it?_**

**_This isn't what you wanted._**

**_This isn't what you wanted._**

'What the hell? A wink and a smile? Jerk's good.' Syaoran scowled at his "love-block," the one thing that's been hindering his advances on his current obsession. 'I should have anticipated this from their earlier display. Shit! I can't believe my luck.'

Seeing the frustration from his face, Rika taunted him. "Can't believe there's someone better than you?"

"Show off." Syaoran scoffed, rolled his eyes and resume his glaring, convinced that he could do damage with it.

**_Cause all we know is falling, it falls._**

**_Remember how, cause I know that we won't forget at all._**

"Argh! Damn, fan girls. I can't believe cuz have to go through with this everyday. I thought I get rid of them by posing Tomo's boyfriend." Sakura muttered to herself, unconsciously walking through the west side of the forest near the compound.

"Still not enough?"

"Huh?"

"Oh don't play dumb with me?"

"What the—"

Syaoran smirked and pointed at the gaping girls behind them, a mere fence separating them from the rabid fans. Sakura as dense as she is even in the shoes of his cousin Ikki, look at him still clueless with his gestures.

"Oh c'mon do I have to spell it out for you?"

Sakura staring at the fan girls then back at Syaoran continuously begun to discern what he meant immediately denied his accusations.

"Oh no, I'm not like that. I don't go and take advantage of them." Sakura defended pointing at the fans.

"Yeah, just your band mates."

"WHAAT!"

"Ha, do you really think we are that naïve of your sickening play?"

"I'm not… wait, what?" Sakura tried to explain but lost on how to without exposing their secrets.

"Save it, just watch your back Kinomoto!"

Shock to the core, Sakura gaped at him. Irritation shot through her veins from the unnecessary hostility this boy is shooting at her. "Hey, what's your problem?"

"You! You scumbag!"

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, trying to think of what she did to upset him like this. But before she could further rack her brains out, he continued.

"What does she sees in you? You're nothing but a scambag screwing the minds of two girls, girls that are clearly close friends."

"Girls?"

"Shut up! Don't you dare play your innocent act with me, asshole! Watch your back you might not know what's coming after you." And by that threat, he stomped angrily away from a bewildered and annoyed Sakura.

"What the hell is his problem?" Sakura seethed and stalk on the opposite direction.

* * *

"Okay stop." Mei Lin dusted her clothes as she composes herself from all the dragging and glared at her kidnapper. "Spill, I know you want something dragging me this far."

"Mei I desperately need your help, please." Tomoyo batted her eyes for effect.

Mei Lin suspiciously raised an eyebrow with her antics, "With what?"

"With your baby brother."

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the songs...

The first song performed by Wolf drifters is "Your stories, My alibis" by the band MATCHBOOK ROMANCE. While the second one which was performed by RAging Wings is "All we Know" by the band PARAMORE. Thanks please review

Try to listen to the songs in the fic to better grasp/appreciate it. If you need a copy of any of the songs just give me your email ad so i can send it to you... Here are some notes to clarify some things...

Band and members:

Wolf drifters-Syao: lead guitar/vocals; Eriol: rhythm guitar/vocals; Rika: bass; Miyu: drums (First Year students in college)

Raging wings-Andy: drums/vocals; Ren: lead guitar/vocals; Tomo: bass/vocals; Ikki: rhythm guitar/vocals (Second Year students in college)

Convicted mind- Kura: rhythm guitar/vocals; Jun: lead guitar/vocals; Yam: drums; Ryu: bass/vocals (Seniors in High School)

Busted Halo-Touya: lead guitar; Mei: bass; Yuki: drums; Ken: rhythm guitar/vocals (Already two years graduates in College)

Relationships:

Sakura and Touya - siblings; Ikki Kinomoto - cousin on father side; Tomoyo Daidouji - cousin on mother side

Andy and Yuki - siblings

Syaoran and Mei - siblings; Eriol, Rika and Miyu Li - cousins on father side

Jun and Ryu - cousins

Feb 27, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	10. Adaptation

**Chapter 10: Adaptation**

Bang… cling… bang… bang…

"What the hell?" Eriol yelled as he rolled off his bed. The whole camp awoke from an upbeat but really annoying rhythm. One by one they rolled off their beds and advance to their porches to see the riot outside. Each, still drowsy from the lack of sleep, well, except for two deep sleepers residing in one of the boys' cottages.

Ren then open their door to peek on whose making the riot outside, only to give access for the facilitators to barge into their cottage lead by Touya himself. Touya pat his shoulder as he walk passed and looked for her sister. When he noticed that Sakura wasn't up yet, he smirked and hurriedly filled a bucket with icy water and cautiously approached her bunk.

Touya's smirk grew even wider as he noticed Syaoran, sound asleep at the bottom bunk of Sakura's. 'Two birds with one stone.' He silently cackled evilly gaining sweat drops from his audience. He then tips the end of the bucket and spills its contents to the two sleeping forms.

"SHIT!"

"WHAT THE?!"

Two screams echoed into the room as two teens were drenched from his exploits. Bewildered, from their situation the two glared throwing imaginary daggers at the snickering Touya and the crowd behind him. Sakura immediately jumped off the bed cursing and hurriedly went to the bathroom to fix her drenched disguise while Syaoran rolled off the bed only to loose his composure as he felt pain shot through his legs that causes to gain more fits of laughter. He muttered curses, gathered a change of clothes and waited outside the bathroom door.

'Shouldn't kick his bed the whole night...'

As he was about to knock furiously at the door, Sakura brusquely brushed pass him and out through the main door seething, ignoring the facilitators giving some instructions to their other roommates.

* * *

After changing his set of wet clothes, Syaoran went outside to clear his head disregarding the fact that the cottage was now empty.

He walked aimlessly as he pondered about the humiliating wake up call he received earlier. Reaching the edge of the forest he suddenly sensed someone behind him. Deciding it was an unwanted presence, with a swift movement Syaoran released a punch.

But knowing her arts, she easily dodged and blocked the following attacks. They sparred a little more before settling under the shade of a tree.

"You're good, haven't had a decent fight for quite a while. So what brings you here?"

Syaoran dusted off himself and turn to face his annoying roommate. "None of your business."

"What's up with you? I just want to be your friend."

"Whatever." Syaoran shrugged, turning to leave her behind.

Exasperated, Sakura tried to hold on to him. "What the hell did I even do to _you_?"

Syaoran halted, and turn around scowling. "What the f#%$, you're asking _me_…" He menacingly walked towards her, "What the hell is wrong with _me_?" and roughly shoved her. "What the hell is wrong with _you_?! Don't put me up with that innocent act a-gain."

"Stop being a cryptic ass and tell me what the hell it is… you gaki!" Sakura unwaveringly bit back.

Syaoran clearly loosing all his patience, rolled his eyes, 'How dense could this guy get?', and disgustingly retort. "Damn it, you're acting as if fooling with the whole damn band is nothing. I can't believe how sick can one be to have the guts to cheat with his own friends."

"Fooling?" How dense could our Sakura be? Author sweats drop.

"The whole camp knows that you already had that bassist as your girlfriend. Yet you still shamelessly flirt with your drummer and lead guitarist. You f#%$ing bi- or this is just something natural for you? You truly know how to multi-task or do you guys work on a schedule or something?"

Sakura finally getting what he's implying suppressed her giggles, "That's it?"

"What the… Are you f#%$ing kidding me?" Syaoran lunged at her again, grabbing her collars, and pressing her violently at the trunk of the tree.

"Gaki shut up for a sec!" Sakura grabbed his hands on her throat, shove it away irritably and barked at him. "It's not what you think. Ren is like a big brother to me just as Tomoyo and Andrea is a sister to me."

Sakura shivered from the thought of having something between her cousin and friends. 'Eww!' She then pondered on her impulsive reply. 'Not the real Ikki though… with Andy for that matter.'

"But I-I thought th—"

"Well ga-ki, you thought wrong. And the rumor about me and Tomo was cooked up by Andy to get rid of those stupid and insane fan girls for me. You don't know how Tomo severely punished Andy for doing it." Sakura shook her head as she tried to brush off the unnerving memory, and refrain gagging from it.

"She did what?"

Sakura puzzled by his reaction asked, "What's it with you?" trying to figure out his expression of concern, and then realized the reason behind it. "Huh…You like her don't you?"

"No, it's not…"

"Ha, I knew it." Sakura paced in front of the now bewildered Syaoran, deciphering his reactions and actions for the past few minutes.

"That's why you hate me… No, loathe me. You thought I… Hahaha…" Sakura try to hold on her laughter to finish her sentence, leaning to a tree for support. "You thought me and Andy are an item too."

"Will you stop laughing for a second, you just sounded like a girl?" He raised one of his eyebrows and scans her from head to toe, "dressed in a guy's outfit…" but before he even finished his sentence a fist came an inch close to his face. He tried to dodge it but was a little bit late and was slightly hit on the left side of his cheek.

Syaoran rubbing his cheek in slight pain, complained. "What the hell is that for?"

"Stupid brat, you're pointing out that I'm gay, I had a girlfriend you know." Sakura glared at him trying to hide her flushed cheeks from humiliation, pretending that she redden from anger.

"Yeah, a fake one. I didn't mean it that way though. It's just that you slightly had a pitch higher earlier that you almost sounded like a girl."

She mentally whacks her brain to squeeze out an excuse for it, "I just had a sore throat yesterday that I squeak way too much than expected."

"Yeah right." Syaoran snorted and stare blankly at the scenery in front of them.

Silence then envelope them. 'Shit! That was close. Gotta be careful next time...' To break the awkward silence around them, she desperately changed the subject, "Well, so how will you go for it gaki?"

Ignoring the insult, "Go for what?"

"Andy of course." Sakura replied mockingly.

'Oh that…' Syaoran sighed heavily and slumped further on the tree's trunk. "I don't know?"

"You don't know? Jeez, good luck with that." Sakura shrug and look up the sky wondering how to proceed with her musings.

Syaoran who was in deep thought suddenly lit up and asked sincerely as he could, "Then, could you help me?"

"Help? With what?" Sakura then nervously glanced at him, dreading the reason behind it and was shocked at his somewhat pleading aura. 'Me and my big mouth... Now what?'

"Why me? You hated my guts awhile ago." Sakura desperately reason out, attempting to get away from the impending favor and averts her attention from his desperate facade.

"Well, I thought you're this merciless player playing with his friends' feelings." Syaoran scratched his nape for miscalculating his new friend. "Um… sorry about that."

She was controlling from snickering and suppressing her anxiousness with the situation at the same time that she look like someone constipating. 'Jeez, his really that desperate?'

"You said you want us to be friends. So let's be friends and help me."

Sakura gaped at his response, mentally hits her head on a wall. 'Shit! Attack me with my own line.'

At her own risk she looked down on him again and regretted it the second she laid eyes on his now begging position. Syaoran, more desperate than ever, is kneeling in front of her, with his head bowed down and chanting his pleas.

Fed up and fighting for her sanity from the traumatic display, Sakura scratched her head, "Okay, okay fine. What do you want?" and tugged at his sleeve. "And stop that before I had nightmares from it."

Syaoran straighten up and dusted himself. "Just set me up for an opportunity to spend time with her. You know, to know more about her."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, for now."

Sakura try to hide her discomfort as she heard his reply. 'Me? Why me?' She successfully covered her red face and attempts to feed her curiosity. "On one condition though, I'll help you if you tell me why Andy?"

"Um… is that really necessary?"

"Yup. Either answer it or it's N-O…"

Squirming in anxiety, Syaoran finally answers, "Because I think I've fallen for her…"

Sakura's eyes widen as she heard him mumbled his last words. 'Oh, Ikki.'

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the review guys and for those who have this on their alert/favorite list. I need again your views about this one. Thanks again for reading. Please drop a review.

Mar 9, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	11. Decision

**Chapter 11: Decision**

'Now if I help Syaoran, I'm betraying Ikki. If I don't help him, he'll get sour with me again and I'm so fed up with his murderous glares. I still have to clear things up with his cousin too if his really into Tomoyo. Jeez what a mess?'

Sakura leaned on the wall behind her, staring at the clouds freely dancing in the sky. 'Sorry Ikki but maybe giving Syaoran a chance is fair. It's really still up to Andy, right? It isn't betrayal it's for a fair and healthy competition.'

A familiar voice snapped her from her chaotic mental debate. "Hey squirt, what are you doing here? They're already starting with this new activity. You better hurry up if you don't want to be your sadistic cousin's punching bag again."

Sakura winced being reminded at the thought of Tomo's temper and hurriedly went to the hall forgetting to thank Ken for the head's up.

"Hang on there, squirt." Ken whispered, as he follows to where Sakura had gone into.

* * *

'What the hell did I just…'

Syaoran punched the nearest tree and groaned. 'Argh…'

'I never poured out my soul to anyone before not even with that stupid cousin of mine.' He looked up the sky throwing his questions and hoping for an answer to it. 'Somehow I get this feeling that I could tell him anything…'

Syaoran suddenly stop from walking and drop his jaw as realization hit him. 'This feeling… this is just what I felt with...'

'No wait, that can't be it. He… h-he's a guy. Maybe it's just that he's so open and friendly that's why I felt that comfortable with him. Li-like… like a brother. Yeah, yeah that's it. It should be.'

_Who are you trying to fool anyway_? A voice taunted him.

'Did I just say it out loud?' He glanced at his left, his right and the sky for the voice who just answered him. The trees gracefully sway with the cool breeze of summer. Rays of the sun peeked through the thick leaves of the old bulky trees. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth.

As he was about to enter the meeting hall, he saw Ikki. Syaoran anxiously rushed to him to have a quick word with him before they reached the now crowded area.

Unfortunately for them, more than a couple pairs of eyes saw this.

"That traitor!"

"Who?" Rika and Miyu glance at the direction Eriol is busy glaring at. "You're not jealous, are you?" Miyu teasingly asked her cousin.

"Look dude, he's just being friendly with a guy from another band. There's nothing wrong with that."

'Oh there is definitely wrong with that picture especially with that damn guitarist.' Eriol seethed in silent anger and ignore his companions.

Rika and Miyu shrugged and left him alone to deal with his sudden change of mood.

* * *

"Oh my, I can't believe this. She's really into him."

"Who? Who?" Andy nosily asked, craning from left to right to look over what Tomoyo's talking about.

"Kura and Syaoran."

A very puzzled Andy stared at the two and then back at her best friend. "Ooohhh… wait. You know something. You've got that look again."

Tomoyo feigned an innocent mask on her face. "What look?"

"That matchmaking-look again…." She smirked as Tomoyo got slightly unbalanced from being caught.

To finish off with her torture Andy exaggeratedly gasped. "Oh no! The horror. Poor, poor Kura."

Tomoyo shoved Andy for her taunts. "Don't sympathize Kura you don't know what that silly girl did… ohohoho…"

Andy perked up with her best friend's comment, and pried further, "Wait something already happened? Oooohhh… What is it…?"

"Remember…."

* * *

"Dude!"

'Traitor' Eriol heard him alright but pretended he didn't hear a thing. He then, rolled his eyes and walk away. Unfortunately for him, his cousin caught up with him, dragging his sworn enemy.

Syaoran tapped his cousin's shoulder to gain his attention but was dumbfounded when Eriol brushed him off. "What's that about?"

"Nothing."

Clueless with his cousin's mood, Syaoran shrugged it off and proceeded with the introductions. "Anyway, Ikki this is Eriol, our rhythm guitarist and a cousin."

"Hey Eriol!" Sakura awkwardly greet.

Eriol scoffed at her. "It's Hirigizawa to you."

"Dude, you don't—"

Anticipating the reaction, she cut Syaoran off and reassure him with a pat, "It's cool."

She then faced Eriol and continued unperturbed, "I know you might think this is awkward. But I want to make things clear. Tomo and I are not an item. Never was and never will. Andy cooked it up to ward off my fan girls."

"You're not?" Eriol utterly confused gawked at her and look at Syaoran for confirmation. Syaoran just smirked.

"Neither am I hooked up with anyone in my band." Sakura turned to Syaoran to find him scratching his nape in shame. "I didn't come here to collect fans or enemies. So make your move, nobody would mind except for her."

Eriol didn't heard the last part of what she said and just bounced off to his happy place, drooling.

"Dude snapped out of it and wiped it off." Syaoran slapped his cousin back.

"Is he always like this?"

"You have no idea—"

"Okay guys can I have your attention now." A slightly flustered facilitator tries to get the attention of the crowd on stage. "The committee had come up with this activity to make bands get along with the other bands. Pick a representative for your band to come here on stage."

Sakura was then pulled by an unknown force from her left and so in her panic grab hold of the nearest person to her (who else!?) and were both pushed to the stage.

As the stage crowded up with the representative for each band the announcer continued. "Each representative please pick a number in the box. The person with the same number will swap members and would perform tonight from the selected songs.

* * *

Well, I guess you guys probably know who's with who.

"Guys, chill. Okay?" Ren position himself between Sakura and Tomoyo, trying to pacify them both.

Sakura sighed for the umpteenth time. "Tomo we can't always be together. We have to balance the bands. If you insist to be in this band the other band won't have a vocalist."

"Bu-but—"

"The band also has to have two of Syaoran's and two of ours. Andy and I have already been decided to be in it. If you would still persist then it would be unfair for them." Sakura desperately reasoned out with her cousin.

'Please don't make things more difficult, I need Syaoran and Andy in the same band and of course me to get them together.' Sakura threw an exasperated look at her cousin, clearly annoyed by her possessiveness.

"Fine, be with your _boyfriend_. I can't believe this!" Tomoyo hysterically throws a fit.

"What the—"

Unsatisfied she cut her cousin off and heatedly went on, "I thought you love me. I thought I've changed you. You've chosen him over me." Tomoyo dramatically points at Syaoran while Andy tries to hide her snickers. 'Tomo's really good at this.'

"Change me? Tomo what are—"

"We're through Ikki, you hear me we're through." Tomoyo looked meaningfully at Andy and grabbed hold of the gaping Ren and the grinning Eriol, as a confused Miyu followed them.

Though before they continue to trudge on, she turns back and wailed, "You're free to be with _him_."

Dumbfounded yet somehow finally catching on with what just happened, Syaoran and Sakura looked and pointed at each other accusingly. "You're gay?"

"I'm not. Are you?" They both yelled in chorus.

"Then why?" Syaoran utterly lost with what just happened with Ikki and Tomoyo, looked at Ikki helplessly for answers, who is still in a state of shock from the pretend break-up of their fake relationship.

"Tomo's sometimes a little too melodramatic for her own good." Andy supplied trying to hide her smirk and amusement of the impromptu situation Tomoyo just made. 'That damn genius.'

Too stunned, that Andy replied. Syaoran just blushed, somewhat speechless from the close proximity of his crush, "Oh"

Then it suddenly hit him, "Wait, are-aren't… aren't you guys just pretending?"

Andy gaped at his revelation and pointedly glared at Sakura. "You told him about you being…"

"Yeah, the pretend-boyfriend-thing, _you_ planned for me to be hassle-free from my fan-girls." Sakura scoffed at Andy and returned the glare.

Syaoran confusedly asks for an explanation. "Then why?"

"Just… I don't know…" Sakura fidgets in exasperation, "at least, I'm finally free from a nagging and abusive girlfriend." She yelled out loud knowing that Tomoyo is still somewhere within earshot, eavesdropping.

"Ouch."

"Will you shut up?" Tomoyo nudged Eriol in the ribs for commenting on it.

"But aren't you just pretending? What's with all the drama?" Eriol asked bemusedly.

Ren and Tomoyo stared at him. Just as she was about to retort back, she suddenly froze from the murderous aura Sakura was projecting towards her. 'Well, Andy, Mei Lin it's your turn. Let the games begin.'

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the late update, got sick. Thanks again for reading. Please drop a review.

Mar 18, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	12. Diversion Part 1

**Chapter 12: Diversion part 1**

"Here's the song you have to perform later."

"Hey, I thought we're going to draw the songs?"

"We actually did if you've listen with the announcement 15minutes ago, you could've pick one yourself." Mei Lin grabbed his hand and stuffed the piece of paper in it. "Just shut up and take this. It's the last one."

"What's wrong with you, effects of your "monthly-thingy"?"

"None of your business!" Mei Lin scoffed and left, still pretending to be pissed and struggling not to burst in laughter with his brother's awkward position of asking her about her period and for not seeing through her lie.

"So what is it?"

Syaoran carefully unfolded the paper, peer inside and read aloud. "Dirty little secrets by The All American Rejects."

"Yey, my favorite band." Rika cheered and looked expectantly with her temporary band.

Andy heartily laughed for some reason. Syaoran just smirked thinking that luck is on their side. While Sakura pretend to be ecstatic about it though in her mind she's beating herself up.

'Damn, isn't it fitting!' Sakura cursed inwardly with her luck.

"C'mon, let's surf for the chords and the lyrics" Andy hyperactively dragged Rika off to the internet room in the camp, leaving Syaoran and Sakura behind deliberately.

"Um… thanks for that…"

"It's cool…"

"Um… look for this, you could take the stage.

"Huh?

"Sing lead. I'll do the back up.

"Oh so you could flirt with her during the performance?"

"N-no, its—"

"Chill, I'm just kidding. And it's cool I have a sore throat anyway. I sounded like a member in a boy band than a rock star…"

Upon entering the room, Sakura shoved Syaoran to Andy whose busy surfing on the other side of the room while she approached Rika to help her out.

"Hey"

Andy looked up, quite surprised. "Oh, hey."

"What's up?"

"Nothing much."

Lost for words, Syaoran looked over what's keeping her busy with. "Who are they?"

"Oh, convicted minds. Have you heard of them?"

"Yeah, it's your other band right? How do you do that?"

Andy just gawked at him in confusion. Syaoran cleared his throat and clarify his question. "I mean balance your time with two bands?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw you perform in one of your gigs, last week."

"You mean at Stripped-Rainbow?" Syaoran just nodded. "You we're there?" Mesmerized with her eyes solely focused at him, he nodded again.

"I was there too, but I never played." Andy pondered, trying to remember the exact night.

Confused with her answer, Syaoran tried to remind her of the incident, "I accidentally bump into you that night when you emerged from the back stage. You were wearing a blue limited edition Nike cap that night during your performance."

"Oh that was you?" Syaoran embarrassedly nodded afraid to look at her eyes. "I thought I would be squished to death." Andy continued her musing completely oblivious of the torment she's inflicting on him.

Realizing the silence of her companion, she decided to begin her contribution to _the plan_. "I'm not a member of convicted mind, neither did I owned that limited edition cap."

Knocked from his stupor and forgetting his earlier embarrassment, Syaoran gawked at her. "Huh."

"That was Kura, rhythm guitarist, sometimes the vocalist and the only female member of the band. Isn't she great!"

"That wasn't you?"

"Nope. I could never pull it off like her. Even if I can play the keyboard and guitar, drums are my forte."

"But at the orientation—"

"That was also her, I injured my hand five minutes after I bumped into you and I begged her to take my place at the last minute." Andy looked at him again but now with stars in her eyes. "Isn't she so talented!"

Syaoran bowed his head to hide his eyes with his cap and just nodded, dumbfounded from what he discovered. 'It's not her?' He then gazed at the giddy drummer beside him, happily clicking at random stuff in the net. 'But… Andy…'

He silently pondered on his predicament at hand, 'I don't know this Kura person yet. Andy… Andy's really a talented drummer too. Even if I've been falsely admiring someone else. I'm sure there's still…'

"Andy…"

"Hmm…" Andy stopped playing with the computer and turned to face him.

"Um… I know it seem sudden but I've been drawn into you the first time I saw you, rather bump into you. I really like you and… umm… is it okay if you could spend some time with—"

"I'm sorry Syaoran, I have someone else in mind."

**_Let me know that I've done wrong_**

**_When I've known this all along_**

**_I go around a time or two_**

**_Just to waste my time with you_**

**_Tell me all that you've thrown away_**

**_Find out games you don't wanna play_**

**_You are the only one that needs to know_**

"What's that gaki doing with my sister?"

"Um… playing a song for the camp?" Yuki wittingly answered.

"I can see that but—"

Yuki heave a sigh, pat his shoulder and cut him off. "Relax Touya it's just a camp activity, besides I don't think he's gay though to like Sakura that way."

"Will you take a rest with your paranoia for a sec, Kura's not here; it's Ikki who's up there. No one will ever know about it unless you ruin everything because of this brotherly possessiveness." Ken scoffed, fed up with Touya's _permanent_ sister-complex syndrome.

**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_**

**_(Dirty little secret)_**

**_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret_**

**_(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)_**

**_My dirty little secret_**

**_Who has to know_**

**_When we live such fragile lives_**

**_It's the best way we survive_**

**_I go around a time or two_**

**_Just to waste my time with you_**

**_Tell me all that you've thrown away_**

**_Find out games you don't wanna play_**

**_You are the only one that needs to know_**

"If you help me set-up Syaoran with Kura, I'll definitely help you with Tomo."

"Really?" Eriol eagerly agreed then ask. "Wait, who's Kura?"

"Kura, Sakura Kinomoto, Ikki's cousin, Tomo's cousin, Touya's sister, and the guitarist in cap of Convicted Minds. The very one that Syao's been drooling for days ever since he laid eyes on her, the one that he have mistaken to be Andy. She's also the one he accidentally kissed in our last gig."

"What kiss?" Eriol gasped in shocked. "How come I didn't know anything about that kiss?"

"You know how that brother of mine is with these things. So would you help me?"

"Of course!"

**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_**

**_(Dirty little secret)_**

**_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret_**

**_(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)_**

**_My dirty little secret_**

**_Who has to know_**

**_The way she feels inside (inside)_**

**_Those thoughts I can't deny (deny)_**

**_These sleeping thoughts won't lie (won't lie)_**

**_And all I've tried to hide_**

**_It's eating me apart_**

**_Trace this life out_**

"What are you _now_ scheming?" Ren hissed at her stealthily to avoid unwanted attention from their temporary band mates for the evening.

Tomoyo bewilderedly looked at him. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"

"You're seriously asking me that question? Damn, Tomo I'm not dense! So just spill it." Ren scoffed trying not to blow up from annoyance.

"Only if you swear to not ruin this for us."

'She's not working alone. Damn this is bigger than I thought.' Deeply troubled, he could only asked, "Us? Who's _the_ us you're talking about?"

"Just swear if you want to know."

"Fine, I swear. Now what is it?"

**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_**

**_(Dirty little secret)_**

**_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret_**

**_(Just another regret)_**

Enlightened with _the plan_ they've cooked up, Ren had the difficulty restraining himself from frustration. "You three did what?" It's a good thing the band is still playing or the whole camp would have heard him.

"You swore!" Tomoyo fretfully reminded him of his promise.

"But … we're talking about Kura here… you can't possibly—"

"Oh yes we can." Tomoyo cut him off with a glint of mischievousness in her eyes.

But Ren firmly not backing out, countered her. "No, you can't if I have a say in this."

"But, but you swore." Tomoyo again attempted to use that line again on him.

"So, I also swore to Touya I'll keep her away from harm even if it's from you guys."

"Damn it! We're not harming her."

"Yes, you _ARE_ and you _WILL_."

"It's not fair."

"Tomo, she's your cousin and like a sister to me. Kura's not a toy you can just give to anyone." Tomoyo looked crestfallen, so Ren bargained. "Okay give me one valid reason and I won't interfere with it if you consult every detail with me first."

Tomoyo widely grinned and answered.

"She's starting to fall."

**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret_**

**_(Dirty little secret)_**

**_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret_**

**_(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)_**

**_My dirty little secret_**

**_Dirty little secret_**

**_Dirty little secret_**

Tomoyo left her gaping best friend and look for someone in the crowd.

"Ren knows." Mei gave her a skeptical look. "Don't worry I got it covered."

"Eriol too has joined in. I'll try to convince Rika and Miyu when the time arises."

**_Who has to know_**

"Oh before I forgot nice song choice."

"Nothing to it. Just stick with the plan."

Tomoyo snickered. 'Brilliant, simply brilliant.'

**_Who has to know_**

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "Dirty Little Secrets" by the band The All American Rejects.

Thanks again to those who reviewed the past chapters

Mar 27, 2009 bangag pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	13. Diversion Part 2

**Chapter 13: Diversion part 2**

She was just minding her own business when...

"This song is for you, Ikki."

Sakura looked up, saw her fake ex smirking on stage and blanched. 'Shit!'

**_Just talk yourself up_**

**_And tear yourself down_**

**_You've hit your one wall_**

**_Now find a way around_**

**_Well what's the problem?_**

**_You've got a lot of nerve_**

**_So what'd you think I would say?_**

**_No you can't run away, no you can't run away_**

**_So what did you think I would say?_**

**_No you can't run away, no you can't run away_**

**_You wouldn't_**

Syaoran glance a longing look at his left where he hopelessly wished Andy should be, as he reminisced what happened earlier.

_"I'm sorry Syaoran, I have someone else in mind." Crestfallen, Syaoran just unblinkingly stared at her blunt answer._

_"Please don't be like this. Ummm… here…" Andy grabbed Syaoran's hand and twists his pinky finger with hers. "I promise I'll help you with someone else. I happened to know the girl you accidentally kissed in Mei Lin's last gig."_

_Syaoran's eyes widened, "You do? Who?"_

_"Maybe you should ask Ikki about his cousin."_

Determined to find out about this mystery cousin of his new friend, he gently tapped Ikki on his shoulder and asked. "Can we talk over there?"

**_I never wanted to say this_**

**_You never wanted to stay_**

**_I put my faith in you, so much faith_**

**_And then you just threw it away_**

**_You threw it away_**

Watching Syaoran and Sakura in the corner of her eyes, Andy cheerfully bounced to her brother, Yuki and his band. She hugged each of them and purposely turned Touya around and wink at her brother then grabbed Mei Lin from them.

"Mei would it even hurt to give me a heads up about your brother having a thing for me?"

"Oh I forgot about that. How is it?"

"I took care of it." Andy smirked as she pointed out to Mei Lin her brother and a familiar boy huddled in a corner.

"C'mon, we need to help distract Touya more."

**_I'm not so naive_**

**_My sorry eyes can see_**

**_The way you fight shy_**

**_Of almost everything_**

**_Well, if you give up_**

**_You'll get what you deserve_**

**_So what'd you think I would say?_**

**_No you can't run away, no you can't run away_**

**_So what did you think I would say?_**

**_No you can't run away, no you can't run away_**

**_You wouldn't_**

Remembering his conversation with Ren, Tomoyo looked at Ren to get his attention and gesture to where Ikki and Syaoran where.

_Flash back:_

_"Are you really sure she has fallen?"_

_"Yeah, just look at her."_

_Ren looked at Sakura and caught her staring at Syaoran as they perform together on stage. 'Crush, infatuation or love?'_

_End of Flashback_

Ren satisfyingly smiled back at Tomoyo, giving her his whole consent on the matter. Tomoyo wink back and hungrily watched over Ikki and Syaoran huddled in a corner. She then looked for her co-conspirators in the crowd. Andy threw her a victorious smile and a thumbs up sign. Mei Lin just smiled sweetly and winked at her. Beside them was Touya, busy arguing something with Ken and Yuki, who were purposefully blocking his view from Sakura and Syaoran.

'Good luck, kiddo.' Ren sighed and continued to play.

**_I never wanted to say this_**

**_You never wanted to stay_**

**_I put my faith in you, so much faith_**

**_And then you just threw it away_**

**_You threw it away_**

**_You were finished long before_**

**_We had even seen the start_**

**_Why don't you stand up, be a man about it?_**

**_Fight with your bare hands about it now_**

"So what is it?"

Delaying his interrogation he diverted. "Hey you sure it's just a pretend thing?"

"Huh?"

"Your fake ex, she's staring at you since they've started and even dedicated this song for you."

"Have you been listening to the lyrics? She's mocking me." Sakura glance at Tomoyo and glared at her for the embarrassment of its dedication. 'What are you up to now Tomo?'

"Bitter huh."

She unfortunately received a wink from her. "Don't mind her she's just thirsty for attention. Don't let her affect you, she might get the idea and take it against you."

Instead of teasing her further, he remained silent.

"Syao?"

"Um… I just want to ask… do you have relatives also in a band."

Instead of automatically answering it, Sakura carefully asked. "Uh… Why?"

"It's just… there's this… a paper…" Sakura raised one eyebrow in confusion. 'Paper?'

"I'm helping a friend of mine, gather info about musician's influence towards family members." Syaoran hid his face with his bangs to hide his blush.

'What the hell was I thinking…' He shook his head in annoyance as if to get rid of his stupidity, 'Pathetic.'

Though confused, Sakura still answered. "Yeah, I have two. Two cousins: Touya over there with Busted Halo and his sister, Kura from Convicted Mind."

"K-Kura?" Scratching his nape, 'That gaki has a sister?'

Suppressing her curiosity to avoid any suspicion, Sakura casually raised an eyebrow and coolly asked, "Yeah you know her?"

'N-not really…' Syaoran just shook his head staring off at another direction.

**_I never wanted to say this_**

**_You never wanted to stay, well did you?_**

**_I put my faith in you, so much faith_**

**_And then you just threw it away_**

**_I never wanted to say this_**

**_You never wanted to stay_**

**_I put my faith in you, so much faith_**

**_And then you just threw it away_**

"Who's Kura? If he's really that pervert's sister, how come I never met her?"

'Finally...' Mei Lin amusedly asked his brother. "Why are you suddenly asking about her?"

"Umm… just curious. I heard from Andy, that she's really good and also has a band of her own, though she's only a high school student."

"She's already a senior and she's only a year younger than you. And the reason you haven't met her is because you always, either refused to go to my gigs because of the pervert or, be fashionably late."

"She's always there?"

"Yeah, unlike some siblings or cousins who doesn't have time to see our gigs. If you have supported me like a good brother then you would've met Andy sooner and even Kura." Facing Eriol, she continued dramatically, "And you with Tomo."

"Mei-mei, Syao's to blame. He always ordered us around, practically forcing us to 'practice to death.'" Eriol pouted, adding fuel to the starting fire.

"Fine, fine. I just want to meet her."

"You can't."

"Why the hell can't I?"

Mei Lin feigned her surprise and angrily answered back. "Watch your mouth young man; I'm still your older sister."

"Then why?"

Mei Lin this time, gasped for real, "Duh, isn't it obvious? Jeez what's up with you? You're slower than usual" and rolled her eyes when he still didn't get it, "You're in camp and she's not."

"Oh!"

Pretending to be annoyed, she asked. "Oh? Is that all?" Unanswered, Mei Lin decides to leave them when…

"Wait!"

"If she was at all your gigs? Was she at your last gig?"

"Yeah."

"How come I never saw her there?"

Trying to stall to irritate his impatient brother more, she paused for a minute before answering, "She was at the entrance of the back stage. I was still wondering why she didn't go in."

"She might be hiding from someone in there." Eriol suggested.

Mei Lin watched her brother's reaction, 'Good one there Eriol, he's squirming like a little fish.'

To make it more convincing, she added. "Yeah, that makes sense. Maybe she did saw someone and got scared."

Syaoran visibly paled. 'She hates me?'

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "For a pessimist I'm pretty optimistic" by the band Paramore.

April 15, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 21, 2013 updated


	14. Confusion

**Chapter 14: Confusion**

After confronting his sister about this mystery girl, Kura. Syaoran locked himself in their cottage and ponder with his new found information. But after a few solemn minutes, frustration got the better of him.

Desperate to cool down his emotions, he came out of the cottage and embraced the comfort of nature. The breeze of the summer roughly brushed his face, as he gently closed his eyes and cherished its cooling effects. Until, someone called his name.

"Syao!"

* * *

Upon seeing her brother pass by the window, Mei Lin coolly yells out his name and gestures him to come over.

Syaoran approached his sister casually. Still preoccupied with their previous conversation, he fails to catch the glimmer in her eyes.

"What are you doing here alone?" Syaoran scans the room before taking the seat next to her.

"I'm not alone." Mei Lin corrects him and points to a hooded figure engrossed with the computer in the far corner of the room. "Anyway, it's late what are you up to?"

"Nothing just thought of checking on something." Syaoran answered tensely.

Mei Lin dubiously countered. "Something? Or rather about someone?"

Syaoran caught up with his lie flushed as he tries to come up with a better excuse.

"Oh c'mon Syao. Stop squeezing your brains out. I know you too well!" Mei Lin pulled him closer for him to see what's on her screen.

Mei Lin typed in a new website address, clicked a few icons and showed him the one thing that's bugging him. "It's the band's official website. I'm the administrator of their site. And it just happens that I'm planning on updating it."

"You want to know Kura? Here." Mei Lin quickly stood up anticipating his brothers' eagerness, yet not quick enough for him to literally tore the seat from her.

Excited, Syaoran roughly grabbed the mouse from her and clicked away. Mei Lin nursing her hand, sighed amusedly 'Jeez, he's that into her already?'

"I can see that you're really not that desperate." Mei Lin taunted his hyper brother, standing with her arms cross behind him.

Instead of defending himself, he brushed off his sister's comment and continued surfing. "Why is there no clear shot of her?" Syaoran thoroughly scanned the site, "Always with a cap or a hood."

"She's not a camera-person, mainly because of someone." Syaoran confusedly look at her sister for an explanation. "Don't ask me, if you want details ask Tomo or Ikki for that matter."

Mei Lin glanced at the watch and convincingly gasped. "I'm off I still need to get up early for that facilitator stuff. Night li'l bro." Mei ruffled his hair and took off.

Unperturbed, Syaoran resume his research and just as fate had planned it, a sudden message window pop out declaring that Kura just said hi. Apparently, his sister forgot to log out from the messenger.

'Might as well reply.'

**_Busted_Mei: Yo_****_! _**

Syaoran squirmed in his seat, 'That was… uh… what's the word… uh… dull? But what else could I say: I like you please be my girlfriend? Or where are you? I desperately want to see you.' Before he could even argue with himself further, Kura replied.

**_Convicted_Kura: You busy?_**

**_Busted_Mei: Not really, just updating on your website. _**

**_Convicted_Kura: Oh no. Tell me you're not putting more embarrassing photos or videos of us? ;p_**

**_Busted_Mei: :D :D :D_**

**_Convicted_Kura: Hey Mei…._**

**_Busted_Mei: Yeah?_**

**_Convicted_Kura: Mei I don't think I can do this anymore._**

**_Busted_Mei: Huh? What's wrong?_**

**_Convicted_Kura: Andy and Tomo they're acting pretty weird lately. It's creeping me out. I just…_**

'This is getting too personal. Should I tell her or not?' Syaoran shrugged drumming his fingers on the table.

Being an honest gentleman who he rarely was, he decided to confess.

**_Convicted_Kura: Mei are you still there?_**

**_Busted_Mei: Um… I'm really sorry Kura but I'm not Mei._**

**_Convicted_Kura: What? Who's this?_**

**_Busted_Mei: I'm sorry for deceiving you. I'm Syaoran, Mei's younger brother._**

**_Convicted_Kura: How? Why?_**

**_Busted_Mei: I'm really sorry I desperately just want to have a little glimpse of you. If you're real or not as my sister and your cousin say you were._**

Blag! Syaoran glanced at the other person in the room as he/she almost fell on his/her chair staring intently at the screen of his/her computer.

**_Busted_Mei: Please I really am sorry…_**

Syaoran slumped as he did not get another reply from her. 'Great work! Got rejected before meeting her in person.'

He glanced at his watch and decided to just sleep it off. As he turned the computer off, a crash echoed through the almost empty room. He decided to check on it. Assuming it came from the only occupant beside himself, he hurriedly approached the person.

A figure was crouched down picking up something from the floor. 'Stupid reflexes.' It cursed loudly.

As the figure clumsily stood up, its hood fell. Syaoran recognized the figure that was now seven chairs away from him. "Ikki?"

Startled, Sakura A.K.A. Ikki stumbled to get to her computer as fast as she could.

Syaoran curious and confuse, walk briskly to Ikki determined to know what's eating his friend up. But, alas, whatever he's hiding, he didn't get to see it as Ikki successfully shuts her computer down in time.

"What's that all about?"

"Nothing."

Syaoran eyed Ikki curiously, attempting to draw out the answer from him. Giving up, he leaned on the table beside him and, "Hmm, if its porn then I don't want to know about it."

Sakura flushed from embarrassment and stuttered, "What makes you think of… of that?"

"You got so flustered all of a sudden. Well, either that or you have a secret girl or something."

"Sorry to burst your bubble. It's not porn and it's not a girl."

"It's a boy then." Syaoran mocked. "You really are gay."

"I'm not and it's not that either." Sakura crumpled a paper and exasperatedly throw it at him. 'Not entirely true.'

Syaoran just easily dodged it. "Then what is it?"

"None of your business." Sakura retorted annoyingly and attempts again. "What is it to you, anyway?"

This time, Syaoran ignored her lame attack and stutter. "Nothing… I… I…"

"You what?"

"I guess I'm just trying to forget some stuff that—"

"And that's why you're picking the hell out of me."

"Sorry about that. Didn't mean to…" Syaoran slumped at a nearby chair.

Sakura then, grabbed the seat next to him. "So what is it? What have you done?"

"It's Kura."

"What about me-I mean her?" Sakura carefully pried. 'Though I pretty well know why and that was really close.'

Syaoran, who was so depressed, thankfully didn't hear her slip. "I lied to her."

Feigning her innocence, "Huh?"

"I pretended to be my sister to talk to her."

"No shit!" Sakura desperately tried not to sound sarcastic about it. Then, smirked and asked jokingly, "Why you like her or something?"

Syaoran remained quiet and just nodded. Jaw dropped from her discovery, Sakura pondered on how to proceed without giving away her identity. As she was about to break the silence and interrogate him further…

"Are you sure they're here?"

"Yeah, someone saw them enter the room earlier." A group of five entered the internet room.

"See, there they are." A blonde guy was pointing at their direction.

"Uh-oh."

"Huh?"

Syaoran grabbed Ikki's wrist and dragged him to the other exit only to be exposed to the larger crowd outside. Squeals of joy, excitement and confessions where heard from their old fan girls and new fan boys.

"Shit!"

"Run!"

* * *

It's been half an hour since they've been running like crazy, squeals and thundering footsteps of the mob of fan girls and boys at their tail. Because of the panic ensued from this predicament he loses sight of Ikki. Fear of getting rape from the fanatics, he dashed to the direction Ikki would likely head to.

Panting heavily, he stops for a second to catch his breath but before he could start running again, a couple of hands grab him from behind and pulled him to a nearby dark room.

He was about to curse the living daylights out of this person when the said person places its hand on top of his mouth. Unable to speak, he struggled with his captor and unintentionally shoved the person hard to the floor.

"Wh-The hell? Try to save someone and you still get knock down for it."

'I know that voice.' Syaoran look down at his fallen captor voicing his suspicion. "Ikki?"

"Down and hurting…. Man, you push like a girl but it still hurts like hell." Sakura sarcastically retorted nursing her butt and other sore parts. "Why the hell did you do that for?"

"Well, I thought you're one of them." Syaoran respond exasperated, fearfully peeking through the windows of the room.

Sakura smirked, "Afraid to be rape and…" Syaoran suddenly grabs her and pull her behind the cabinet.

"Hey wh—" Syaoran covered Sakura's mouth with his hands. Sakura made some muffled retort but Syaoran persisted and shushed her. Five shadows then appeared at the windows peeking through the room like hunters.

"Are you sure you saw them go this way?" A red head in skimpy clothing known as Rena ask her friends.

Another girl nodded and while another tries to unlock the room. "Stop that Kia, they can't be in there." A blond guy named Drew drags the other from the door. "There's nothing to hide for two persons in there unless... Nah?"

"Unless what?" Rena inquired.

"Unless they're hugging each other to squeeze in some hiding place. Like that old cabinet over there." Drew pointed out.

"What do you expect? They're a couple so there's a big possibility they're even there." Rena points at the cabinet, Syaoran and Sakura's sanctuary at the moment.

"Oh yeah, forget about that."

Another guy giddily added, "Yeah, what a major turn on."

Syaoran and Sakura reddened and look at their position. Indeed, they are hugging each other to conceal themselves from their stalkers.

Syaoran instantly tries to inch away from his rumored-boyfriend but Sakura grab his arms and pulled him in. "You choose, either be raped by them or be killed by me if they found out our hiding place."

Syaoran gulp at their now more intertwined position. And tried to stop himself from impure thoughts by silently chanting, "Kura… Kura… Kura…"

"What are you muttering, be quiet." Sakura hissed in his ear.

Syaoran blushed at the proximity of Sakura's lips and his ear. Shivering from the sensation it brought, Syaoran lowered his head and stared at his shoes, focusing on it to prevent other unnecessary thoughts. 'I'm not gay. I'm not gay. I'm not gay.'

"Shh... did you hear that?" Drew asks his friends. Syaoran paled and Sakura glare nervously at the door. The five fanatics push each other away to get the door open and be the first to see their idols.

After torturing the poor door, the five squeeze in to enter, pushing each other to get to the room first. But as soon as they step into the room a squeaky sound was emitted from the nearby corner. Five screams in different pitches erupted and the five fanatics rush out of the room upon seeing a rat.

When the coast is clear, Syaoran sighed. "Jeez, that was close." He slumped at the wall and scratches his nape. "Another hour of running and we'll be toast."

Sakura then also collapse beside him. "Hmn."

Realizing the proximity of their bodies, Syaoran gape. Then turns away to hide his blush. 'Shit! Wait! Blush? Shit, why am I blushing?'

_Man, you're that naïve. Just when I thought you were smart…_

'Shut up, I am smart and not naïve.' He shouted mentally. 'And I'm not gay.'

"What are you mumbling about?" Sakura queried. Syaoran paled and averted his gaze. Sakura then started to walk out, "C'mon, we need to get out of here before that rat comes any closer."

"Hey wait for me."

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N:Sorry for the late update. If you find any mistakes or whatsoever please do tell. Thanks for the reviews and for those who have this on their alert/favorite list.

April 29, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 22, 2013 updated


	15. Distraction

**Chapter 15: Distraction**

'Three more days to go and I'm out of here.' Sakura pondered trying to cheer herself. She then remembered the unfortunate adventure they ventured yesterday from their fans. Trying to suppress the shiver from the stray thought that crossed her mind, she looked up at the moon shining from above. 'How long will I have to run, hide and fear for my life whenever I'm alone?' Paranoia getting into her, Sakura scouts the area before proceeding again to Tomo and Andy's cottage.

'What do they want now? Summoning me to come to their cottage this late at night.' She heaved a sigh, contemplating if she should go or just stood them up. She shuddered at the thought of her cousin and its best friend plotting merciless torture for her, if she decided not to go. 'Jeez, might as well go along with it if I want to come out of this place in one piece.'

"What took you so long?"

She didn't get to retort to her cousin as she was unceremoniously pulled into the cottage. Tomoyo, Andy and Mei Lin ushered her into a seat and start primping her up.

"What the hell—" Sakura yelled in surprise.

Andy exaggeratedly sighed. "Jeez, Babe we're just trying to make up from all of the stress and pressure we're putting on you."

"Wait, your roommates might just barge in any minute and—"

"Don't worry dear; my brother's a complete sadist when it comes to band practices, so we're basically safe."

"He is? He doesn't seem…"

But before she could finish her sentence, someone shoves her to the bed and strips all her clothes.

* * *

"Dude, we've been through the first half of the song for the fiftieth time! Please when will—"

"Stop whining, and practice. This would be the last round and will finish the rest of the song tomorrow."

"Why the hell do we have to change the line up of the song? We already decided the final song—"

But Eriol didn't get to finish his sentence from the death glare he received from his cousin and shrugged. 'I swear he's getting weirder and weirder since yesterday.'

Sensing the tension between her cousins, Rika interjected. "I think it's a great song, so let's just polished it."

Miyu just nodded and hit her sticks.

**_Breathe in for luck, breathe in so deep,_**

**_this air is blessed, you share with me._**

**_This night is wild, so calm and dull,_**

**_these hearts they race, from self control._**

**_Your legs are smooth, as they graze mine,_**

**_we're doing fine, we're doing nothing at all._**

**_My hopes are so high, that your kiss might kill me._**

**_So won't you kill me, so I die happy._**

**_My heart is yours to fill or burst, to break or bury,_**

**_or wear as jewelry, which ever you prefer._**

As they finish the first half of the song, he sighed. 'Kura'

* * *

After a relaxing massage, and a complete make-over: make-up, hair, manicure, and the whole works, Sakura found herself staring at her own image, alone. Surprised, was an understatement, even as a girl she never has been experimented like this. She looked like one of those bimbo models in a magazine.

Irritated with the look she was forced upon with, Sakura washed her face from all the make-up, and furiously removed the stilettos that killing her feet.

Sakura then began to pace, "What's taking them so long?"

Exhausted from pacing, the sadistic band practice and the torturous makeover, Sakura lay on the bed. She then began to ponder on their weird behavior.

Ten minutes ago, Mei lin suddenly excused her self to get some "stuff" for them and would come back in a second. Tomo and Andy volunteered to help and left her here all alone. And until now not a soul had returned.

Thirty minutes has passed and Sakura's getting wearier every second of waiting for them. She slumped on the bed and groaned at the mental battle going on inside her head whether to follow them or not.

Finally, fed up, she stood up and moaned, "Where the hell are they?"

She then grabbed a flip-flop and a hooded jacket, and ran outside, obliviously leaving her Ikki disguise.

**_The words are hushed lets not get busted;_**

**_Just lay entwined here, undiscovered._**

**_Safe in here from all the stupid questions._**

**_"Hey did you get some?"_**

**_Man, that is so dumb._**

**_Stay quiet, stay near, stay close they can't hear..._**

**_So we can get some._**

"Where the hell is she?" Andy frantically paced in front of them, throwing her hands in a crazy fashion and grumbling muffled protests to her self.

"Shut up!" Tomoyo grabbed her and pull her down to their hiding place.

"You shut up!"

"No you shut up!"

"No you—"

"Both of you shut up." Mei Lin hissed, wound up from their bickering. "You know how dense Sakura could be."

There was a sudden rustle in the bush behind them, the three brace themselves from the inevitable. As the seconds passed by, the rustling became more violent until they were met with a pair of sapphire eyes.

"Hey guys!"

Tomoyo glared at their new ally, "You could've presented yourself normally, but no you've got to scare the shit out of us…"

"Sorry, I thought being subtle will be the best." Eriol explained bashfully to his ultimate crush.

"Yeah best for giving us a heart attack." Andy retorted.

"Shut up Andy. Point already taken—"

Andy eye's glimmered with mirth. "Ooohhh, so now you're taking your lover boy's side."

"Why you?!" Tomoyo tackled Andy in irritation.

Ignoring the two Mei Lin asks Eriol, "Where's Syao?"

Eriol check his watched, "He'll be here in five minutes" and resume watching the catfight.

Tomoyo brushed off her clothes and hissed at him. "What are you staring at?"

But before he could reply, Mei Lin shushed them, "Shh… someone's coming."

**_My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me._**

**_So won't you kill me, so I die happy?_**

**_My heart is yours to fill or burst,_**

**_To break or bury, or wear as jewelry,_**

**_Which ever you prefer._**

The light breeze tousled his already messy hair, as he trekked the path Eriol told him to go. 'What the hell was it again? What am I supposed to do? Syaoran pondered on his cousin's cryptic explanation. 'Something about…' but before he could go on further he then saw someone's silhouette

"Is that Ikki?"

He tried squinting to see more clearly but the light coming from the moon was then overshadowed by some clouds.

"Ikki!" He tried to call him but it seems the figure didn't hear him so he tries to catch up with it.

'Where did Ikki go?' Then he caught sight of someone 2 cottages down from where he is standing. Thinking it was Ikki.

"Ikki!" He outrun the figure and attempted to stop it by blocking its way. Hunched from being winded, he didn't notice the figure's incredulous look on him. Syaoran then glanced up, after catching his breath only to lose it again as he got the shocked of his life.

"Who are you?"

"What are you talking about Syao? It's me, Kinomoto?"

Confused, Syaoran tried to guess, "Kura? What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what I'm doing here? I'm attending…" Sakura awkwardly stopped, sensing she missed something he said.

"What did you call me again?"

"Kura? You're Kura Kinomoto right?" Syaoran persisted.

'How?' Sakura check her wig and gasped as she now realized she's not wearing her disguise because of the makeover treatment her cousin and friends did with her.

'Shit!'

Not knowing what to do, she ran.

"Hey, wait."

**_Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember,_**

**_I'll always remember the sound of the stereo,_**

**_The dim of the soft lights,_**

Any passerby would freak to hear a squealing bush in the dark.

(Back to our conspirators…)

"No shit it worked!" Andy squealed in delight.

Tomoyo leaned more closely to the latest recruit in the group, almost hugging him in the process trying to see through the video camera he's holding while Eriol have this goofy grin pasted on his face.

Mei Lin notice this and teasingly reprimanded her cousin, "Eriol stop flirting and focus on the video."

Eriol blushed while Tomoyo obliviously tinkered on her video cam.

"C'mon they're getting away." Andy bounced up from her position and started running.

**The scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers**

**And the time on the clock when we realized it's so late**

**And this walk that we shared together.**

Finally catching up to her, Syaoran gently grab her arm and spun her to face him, also catching a whiff of her unique scent.

"Please wait … I really need to talk to you."

Sakura gives up any possible evasion and asked while she tried to focus on some tree behind him instead of his pleading face. "Why?"

"I mean I need to apologize for what I did."

Still confused, she again asked, "You mean the kiss?"

Syaoran reddened at the question, remembering the clichéd accidental kiss they've shared. 'I'll never regret that.'

Shaking his head to focus, "Um… no… it's about the chat we had the other day. I really didn't mean to pry. I was… I just… I want to talk to you. I'm really sorry."

"Oh no. It's okay no harm done."

"You don't hate me?"

"No." Sakura answered, still refusing to have any eye contact with him, afraid to be drawn again by his mesmerizing amber eyes.

"Umm…"

"Yeah?"

"What are you attending here?"

"Huh?" Sakura mumbled as she tries to understand what he was asking.

Syaoran still stuck in the unprecedented nervous level he's experiencing with a girl he's interested, stammered, "Yo-you said earlier, you were here because you're attending something."

"Oh that…" Sakura paled and cursed her brain to function properly and come up with an excuse. 'Shit! Think of something…'

"Um… you see, my brother's a facilitator here and I was attending um… attending to um… his need by bringing him his… um… lucky shorts?"

**_The streets were wet_**

**_And the gate was locked so I jumped it,_**

**_And I let you in._**

"Touya has lucky shorts?" Mei Lin asked bewilderedly at Tomoyo.

Tomoyo taken aback replied, "How should I know I'm just his cousin." As she peered intently on the video camera that Eriol was holding for her as the latter was simply making the most out of it.

"Well, apparently he has now." Andy claps her hands in her new discovery, another one to add for blackmailing his favorite busted halo member.

Mei Lin catching the mirth in Andy's eyes shook her head in amusement. 'Poor Touya.'

**_And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist_**

**_And you kissed me like you meant it._**

'Shit! What am I saying, lucky shorts? How pathetic can I get?' Sakura sighed as she tries to explain how she was tricked by her older brother to drive all the way here just to give that damn shorts.

"So basically, that's why I'm here." Sakura fidgeted as she finished narrating the lamest story in her lifetime to her newest buddy.

"Oh…"

'Damn, he'll think I'm this really weird chick and he'll start to avoid me…' Sakura knit her brows in confusion. 'Wait, why do I care? He's just Syaoran. Ikki's friend. He's just a friend.'

Silence then ensued as Sakura ponders on her current situation while Syaoran is still tongue tied on what he was about to say next. Finally gathering enough courage he started to fake a cough to get her attention once again.

"Um… about the kiss I never felt sorry for it."

Taken aback, Sakura fidgets; looks at her watch and quickly improvise her escape. "Oh, shoot! Ah I really need to go! Umm… bye" and kiss him on the cheek.

Sakura took off before he could respond. Syaoran on the other hand, was stunned with the gesture that he only woke up from his reverie after a few seconds to discover that she was nowhere in sight.

"Where did she go?"

**_And I knew that you meant it,_**

**_That you meant it,_**

**_That you meant it,_**

"You got that, right?" Mei Lin asked Eriol who was still gaping like a fish.

"I can't believe she did that?" Tomoyo giddily bounced at her excitement and accidentally kissed the person next to her, Eriol. But before Tomoyo let go of him, Eriol tighten his hold of her and started to deepen the kiss.

Andy was still staring at the space Sakura and Syaoran were a minute ago, "You've got to be kidding me? Our Kura did that?" asking for confirmation from her best friend who was still busy with Eriol.

Getting no response from her best friend, Andy peeled off from her trance and turn around to see why Tomoyo ignored her. She gasped as she witnessed the scene of Eriol and Tomoyo. She grabbed the discarded video camera and start recording them while snickering.

Mei Lin just shrugged and nudged Andy to stop recording the two and try to break the unnecessary tension that was slowly building up. But Andy just snorted at the conservative girl and continued her filming. That was until Mei Lin hissed something to her ear. "Stop them or I'll tell the real Ikki what you really think of him."

Andy froze and starts coughing loudly. When that didn't work she tries to shake Tomoyo while whining. "Tomo answer my question. Am I delusional or did our Sakura just did what I thought she did."

Tomoyo then gently pull out from the kiss, oblivious to the effect she did to Eriol. "Yup, are baby just did that."

"Hey, you alright cuz." Mei Lin asked amusedly, as Eriol just nodded, still dazed from his sudden good luck.

**_And I knew that you meant it,_**

"It's just a distraction, just to distract him. Right?" Sakura pondered as she changed back to her disguise. "Yeah, what else could it be?"

After securing her disguise, she then decided to ditch looking for her three torturers and just head up to bed.

Syaoran, on the other hand, still occupied and determined to look for Kura, bumped into someone muttering something to him self.

"Hey, dude. Have you seen a girl passed here?"

"Syao?"

"Ikki?"

"Yeah, what are you doing here?"

"Um… just…nothing…" Syaoran nervously scratch his nape, "Um… hey did you see Kura? She was just here." Syaoran thankfully not looking at her intently still scans the area as he asked Sakura's whereabouts.

"Oh Sakura? Wait, how did you know her?" Ikki feigned innocence.

Syaoran blushed and bashfully answered. "I bumped into her earlier."

"Uh-huh." Sakura nodded innocently, and gestured on her left. "I just saw her leave with Yam and Jun."

Syaoran frowned, not recognizing the names he just heard. "With who?"

"Her bandmates. Why do you know them too?"

"Uh… uh… No. I've got to go. I forgot something to tell her." Syaoran stuttered and quickly headed to the direction she just pointed out but accidentally bump into his friend as he caught a whiff of a scent that was so familiar from Ikki.

Sakura just stared at his back slowly fading away in the darkness. 'Gee, not even a thank you or a sorry.'

Just as Sakura was about to turn around and walk the other way, she heard a shout of Thank you from the running Syaoran that is now a blur from her vision. She chuckled and shook her head from the typical Syaoran who seems to be psychic for sometime now.

**_That you meant it,_**

As he ran the path Ikki just pointed, a weird thought entered his mind and was bugging the hell out of him. 'Sakura… She smells like… Ikki? Are all Kinomotos smelled the same?'

Only one way to find out…

Touya.

**_That you meant it…_**

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "Hands down" by the band Dashboard confessional.

If you find any mistakes or whatsoever please do tell. I was rushing it so i could post it today.

June 18, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 22, 2013 updated


	16. Admonition

**Chapter 16: Admonition**

Scanning the music sheet, Syaoran groaned for the nth time, "Why are we doing this again?"

"Some sort of another weird activity?" Miyu replied while fixing her shoe laces, Eriol and Rika were having a whispering fit as they lagged behind them.

Clearly annoyed, Syaoran again asked. "Then why, this song?"

"It was assigned to us. Mei just gave us a head's up. It's supposed to be a surprised thing." Rika interjected as they finally caught up with them.

"Yeah it was supposed to be an on-the-spot-exercise." Miyu giddily explained then curiously asked, "Something wrong with the song? It's better than the previous performances."

Eriol teased. "Stop sulking, you should be thankful. It's just what you need for _her_."

"Ooohh… who-who?" Miyu giddily asked.

Syaoran threw daggers at Eriol as he glared at him then growled at her. "None of your business. Now, get up it's our turn."

Miyu pouted, "Jeez is he PMS-ing a-again?"

"Try not to ignite his irritations again by interrogating him; heard he had some unnecessary confrontation with Touya Kinomoto earlier." Rika amusedly supplied.

"About what?"

"I'll tell you later."

**_She rolls the window down_**

**_And she talks over the sound_**

**_Of the cars that pass us by_**

**_And I don't know why_**

**_But she's changed my mind_**

"Dude, what's up with him again?" Ken gently shoved Yuki's shoulder with his.

Oblivious to what his best friend is asking, Yuki replied, "Who?" Ken then used his head to point to sulking dark aura he's pertaining to.

"Oh, _him_."

"Yeah, _him_."

Yuki just remained quiet for another minute until Ken burst, "You're not making this easy, are you?" Yuki just smirked at him and turn his attention back with the band on stage.

Ken sighed, "Okay, what do you want in return?"

"Hmm… that's a toughie…" Yuki taunted mussing his hair in mock thought. "How 'bout your extra electric guitar." Yuki smiled wickedly as he watched one of his best friend gaped incredulously at him.

"Jeez, this must be damn extraordinary for that expensive trade."

"Something you'll never expect to happen." Yuki's eyes danced with mirth, "So do we have a deal?"

Curiosity peaked; he agreed immediately, "Hell yah!"

**_Would you look at her?_**

**_She looks at me_**

**_She's got me thinking about her constantly_**

**_But she don't know how I feel_**

**_And as she carries on without a doubt_**

**_I wonder if she's figured out_**

**_I'm crazy for this girl_**

"Rika, please tell me now." Miyu whined when her cousin was close enough to hear her, clearly annoyed with the wait.

Rika glared at her cousin and again try to concentrate with her bass part, "I'll tell you later after this."

"Just give me a hint please. I can't focus here."

Almost missing a beat, Rika sighed and gave in, "Fine, it's about the Kinomotos' certain smell. I haven't heard the full story yet."

Still not letting it go, Miyu again asks, "Where did you hear it from?"

"From Mei, now quit bugging me and finish the song." Rika replied irately and moved away from her cousin, far enough to not hear any whining.

**_She was the one to hold me_**

**_The night, the sky fell down_**

**_And what was I thinking when_**

**_The world didn't end_**

**_Why didn't I know what I know now?_**

As he strums his guitar in trepidation, the words his cousin voiced out still hanging in his head, he suddenly remembers the first time he met her.

_As the song reaches its climax the crowd grew more aggressive, someone was pushed forcefully into him and they both fell on the cold concrete. Something soft brushed with his lips. Dreading what it was, he stubbornly remained still and shut his eyes almost painfully, pretending it was all a dream. 'Shit, is it a girl? A guy? An old lady? Or an old man?' He shuddered at those thoughts. _

_The person underneath him didn't dare to move at all. And for five forsaking minutes, he couldn't take it anymore, and slowly open his eyes only to be greeted with a pair of intense emerald eyes._

_The girl dazedly touches her lips, frowned and then glared at him. He then quickly stood up and helped the girl he bumped into. But the girl shoved his hands and stood up by herself. _

_"Watch where you're going," she snorted and wipes her lips in disgust and turn the other way but before she could ran away from him, he grabbed her wrist. "I'm sorry. It really was an accident."_

_"Fine, now will you let go of me?" The girl scoffed at him, wiggling her arm out of his hold._

_He pleaded at her, still mesmerized by her sparkling eyes. "Will you tell me your name first?"_

_"Not a chance in hell."_

_"But w—"_

_"Syao we've been looking all over for you." He was suddenly spun around by his idiotic cousin and lost his grip on his new found fascination._

Coming out from his reverie, he glared at his least favorite cousin, 'Damn Eriol and his timing!'

**_Would you look at her?_**

**_She looks at me_**

**_She's got me thinking about her constantly_**

**_But she don't know how I feel_**

**_And as she carries on without a doubt_**

**_I wonder if she's figured out_**

**_I'm crazy for this girl_**

His memories then drifted to his roommate as he unconsciously picked him up from the crowd.

_He instantly tries to inch away from his rumored-boyfriend but Ikki grab his arms and pulled him in. "You choose, either be raped by them or be killed by me if they found out our hiding place." _

_He gulp at their now more intertwined position. And tried to stop himself from impure thoughts by silently chanting, "Kura… Kura… Kura…"_

_"What are you muttering, be quiet." Ikki hissed in his ear._

_He blushed at the proximity of Ikki's lips and his ear. Shivering from the sensation it brought, he lowered his head and stared at his shoes, focusing on it to prevent other unnecessary thoughts. _

'I'm crazy for that boy?' Vigorously shoving those thoughts away, he shook his head like crazy. 'Focus idiot, got to finish this song and not act like a love sick fool.'

**_Right now_**

**_Face to face_**

**_All my fears_**

**_Pushed aside_**

**_And right now_**

**_I'm ready to spend the rest of my life_**

**_With you_**

As hard as he can, Syaoran successfully shoved those memories at the back of his mind. He tried to divert his attention but still stared at the hooded figure in the corner clearly angry with his band mates particularly with the brunette as it triggered another memory the night before.

_"Um… about the kiss I never felt sorry for it."_

_Taken aback, Kura fidgets; looks at her watch and quickly improvise her escape. "Oh, shoot! Ah I really need to go! Umm… bye" and kiss him on the cheek._

Can't simply help it, he inwardly chuckled and sighed, 'Yeah definitely crazy for that _girl_…'

**_Would you look at her?_**

**_She looks at me_**

**_She's got me thinking about her constantly_**

**_But she don't know how I feel_**

**_And as she carries on without a doubt_**

**_I wonder if she's figured out_**

**_I'm crazy for this girl_**

**_I'm crazy for this girl_**

Being really perceptive as she is, Tomoyo felt someone staring at her. She frantically looked for the said person and caught Eriol staring at her. She gave him an enticing smile. As she was about to turn her attention to her cousin, she notice another person staring at their direction, only to find out Syaoran dazedly staring at Sakura.

Tomoyo then giddily nudged Ren to point out the obvious and looked at Andy. Glad that her best friend had noticed it too, she gave her a wink and a mischievous smirk then turn to her cousin.

Tomoyo asked innocently, "So how's your night?"

"Unforgettable?" Sakura glared at her cousin and its best friend.

"I bet." Andy taunted and got a nudged and warning glare from Tomoyo. While Ren watched the suspicious behavior the two were exhibiting.

"What was that?" Sakura asked Andy exasperatedly rendering the girl mute. "What?" Receiving no answer, she asked again. "Anyway, where the hell did you three go?"

"Actually it's a long and funny story. We don't want to bore you before we perform on stage." Tomoyo nervously glanced at Andy who was clearly enjoying the predicament she's in.

"It's okay. We still have time." Sakura glanced at her watch for good measure and direct her glares again to the two girls in front of her. "I'm waiting."

**_Would you look at her?_**

**_She looks at me_**

**_She's got me thinking about her constantly_**

**_But she don't know how I feel_**

**_And as she carries on without a doubt_**

**_I wonder if she's figured out_**

**_I'm crazy for this girl_**

"So you're telling me that you got lost, then found Mei, got lost again, chased by a stray wolf, stumbled to a lake and almost drown?" Sakura tried to understand as she summarized her cousin's ridiculous story.

Tomoyo nodded vigorously. "It's true. And when we finally found our way back, you were gone."

"I didn't know there's a lake here." Ren taunted and received glares from the two girls.

"And that's why Tomo and I can't sing, we almost lost our voice from screaming for help last night. Until Eriol came to our rescue and whisk our Tomo here off her feet and kissed her till she drops." Andy wittingly added which earn her a slap in the back from Tomoyo.

Tomoyo hissed at her ear, "You don't have to elaborate it further."

At the mention of Eriol's name Sakura glanced up the stage to look at Eriol as if to confirm the story but instead got surprised by catching Syaoran staring at their direction. 'It can't be me? Right?' Answering her self, 'Yeah must be Andy. Still crazy about her.'

Glancing back at her so called friends, "Yeah right. And what's your excuse?" Sakura asked as she directed her anger to the unsuspecting Ren.

Ren calmly countered, "You know very well, I'm not good at memorizing at the last minute." And glared at Tomoyo and Andy, the two nodded as they understood his glare. They have to tell him every detail that went on last night.

Defeated, Sakura frustratingly groaned and trudged up the stage.

**_I won't talk_**

**_I won't breathe_**

**_I won't move till you finally see_**

**_That you belong with me_**

Miyu dragged Rika around to find Mei Lin. Annoyed, Rika irately yelled, "Will you slow down? I can walk on my own. You don't have to drag me like a doll."

"Lighten up cuz." Miyu cheekily replied while swiftly scanning the area. Upon finding her cousin, Miyu quickly grabbed Mei Lin and push her two cousins in some remote space back stage.

Bewildered, Mei Lin screamed at her two cousins, "What the hell was that for?"

"Hyper here, wants to know the whole story about Syaoran's morning incident." Rika retorted as she tried to fix her tangled hair and wrinkled clothes.

"Oh, is that all." Mei Lin smiled mischievously at Rika then glared at Miyu and reprimanded her. "You could've just asked nicely you know.

Miyu just hug her gently, whispered an apology and gave her a pleading look. Weakened with her favorite cousin's charm she gave up incessantly.

"Fine."

**_You might think I don't look_**

**_But deep inside the corner of my mind_**

**_I'm attached to you_**

**_Mmmm_**

Sakura strummed her acoustic guitar in annoyance. As she looks up again to sing the next lines, she saw him again.

She tries to avert her attention to something else but her head just won't move and follow her commands. She stares longingly at him as she took in everything. His arrogant stance, his rugged fashion sense, his messy and sexy hair, his perfect face, adorable smile and captivating eyes.

'Wait… shit! I'm not attracted to him, am I?' Sakura again attempts to divert her eyes from him. But to no avail she then argues with herself. 'Duh, I just checked him out.'

In frustration, Sakura close her eyes and attempt to clear her thoughts of him. But to no avail she dejectedly opened her eyes and gave in to his charms. 'I'm in deep shit.'

**_I'm weak, it's true_**

**_Cause I'm afraid to know the answer_**

**_Do you want me too?_**

**_Cause my heart keeps falling faster_**

Syaoran caught sight of Touya. He quickly hid himself behind a post and groaned obviously still pissed off with something as he remembered a particular memory about someone's scent.

_He paced around in a circle, 'Am I insane? Why am I doing this? I can't believe I can't sleep over this and now planning to invade that gaki's room to confirm my theory.' He gazed up at the sky questioning it further, 'What am I doing? I can't do this. This is ridiculous. People have their own unique scent. But Ikki and Kura… maybe…' _

_Frustrated, he cursed. 'Shit! Arggh! I just have to…'_

**_I've waited all my life to cross this line_**

**_To the only thing that's true_**

**_So I will not hide_**

**_It's time to try anything to be with you_**

**_All my life I've waited_**

**_This is true_**

In spite of his reflexes, Touya still caught a glimpse of Syaoran before running behind a post. A vivid memory flashed back as he cursed for using the extra soap of her sister.

_"Argghh! Damn best friends, can't they buy their own soap." He rummaged around his bag, his best friends' bag, the entire cabin but couldn't find anything._

_A knock interrupted his predicament. He tightens his robe and answered the door. _

_"Kajuu?"_

_"Hey, nii-chan."_

_"What's the problem?"_

_"Nothing, just…" Sakura then notices his brother's grim face. "What's wrong?"_

_"Oh, those idiots ate my soap."_

_"Huh?" Sakura scrunched her face in confusion. "Are they that hungry?"_

_Accustomed to his sister's denseness, he explained. "Yuki and Ren used all of my soaps and I don't have anything else left."_

_Fully understanding it, Sakura suggested. "You can have mine. I have some extra soap packed by Tomoyo in my luggage."_

_"Thanks."_

_"No problem."_

Touya cursed at the sudden flashback he had. "Damn, it! Should've figured out sooner it would also attract the stupid brat."

**_You don't know what you do_**

**_Every time you walk into the room_**

**_I'm afraid to move_**

As she sang further, Sakura still can't help looking at Syaoran and reminisced what happened the night before.

_"Um… about the kiss I never felt sorry for it."_

_Taken aback, she fidgets; looks at her watch and quickly improvise her escape. "Oh, shoot! Ah I really need to go! Umm… bye" and kiss him on the cheek._

Still arguing with her self, 'Clearly it's really just a distraction. No matter how many times I replay that scene. Right?'

'Damn habits.' Sakura again groaned.

**_I'm weak, it's true_**

**_I'm just scared to know the ending_**

**_Do you see me too?_**

**_Do you even know you met me?_**

Rika gaped, "Ikki's a girl?"

Miyu quipped, "SYAO'S GAY?"

"Yes and Hell NO" Mei Lin yelled exasperatedly, but before she could explain further she was interrupted by Rika.

"Sakura is disguised as Ikki and Syaoran like her as Sakura or as Ikki?" Rika inquired while Mei Lin just smirked. "No wonder he was staring at her most of the time." Rika pondered over this then asked again. "Then why the hell did he smell Touya?"

"Silly, it means he likes Touya too?" Miyu conclude teasingly.

Mei Lin jibed at her cousin. "Shut up Miyu!" And to clarify things with Rika she added, "I really don't know but Yuki said something about blasted scent of Kinomotos."

**_I've waited all my life to cross this line_**

**_To the only thing that's true_**

**_So I will not hide_**

**_It's time to try anything to be with you_**

**_All my life I've waited_**

**_This is true_**

Ken gawked at his best friend like he had another head growing in him. "He did what? Did you just said sniff him or I just misheard you?"

"Yup." Yuki answered cheekily. "He did, as he was about to walk out on us. While glaring at us, he threw the boxer on Touya's face, sniffed him and madly dash away."

"Ooh, damn it! I just missed the finest Touya moment." Ken tried to control his laughter as to not gain any unwanted attention. And then regretfully moaned, "If I only didn't have my I-pod on."

"Damn right you did."

**_I know when I go_**

**_I'll be on my way to you_**

**_The way that's true_**

Still staring dazedly at one direction ever since they've started, Tomoyo gently nudges Ren to get his attention and again to prove her point. Andy became aware of this, turns her attention to Sakura and was not disappointed.

Ren, on the other hand, dejectedly shrug and conceded, earning a victorious smirk from Tomoyo as she playful wink at Andy and then gave a flirtatious one with someone in the crowd.

Sakura sighs and stare longingly at Syaoran who's currently and poorly hiding behind a post. 'Wish I could be true to _you_.' Sakura ruefully smiles then shrugs in distress, 'Oh, crap!'

**_I've waited all my life to cross this line_**

**_To the only thing that's true_**

**_So I will not hide_**

**_It's time to try anything to be with you_**

**_All my life I've waited_**

**_This is true_**

'It was just a wink.' Syaoran shrugs and sigh confusedly. 'Eriol and his weirdness.'

"Will you stop drooling?" Revolted from his cousin's reaction, Syaoran indifferently leaves his cousin behind with its thoughts.

He strolls across the forests bordering the camp as he rearranges his thoughts. A cluster of thoughts enter his mind: thoughts of Sakura, thoughts of the implications of the songs, thoughts of being gay… 'Shit! What? No… impossible, I'm not… smitten… I'm with… attracted… I'm… crush… No… It's Sakura.'

_But what about Ikki?_

'What about Ikki?'

_The song he sang earlier, he's clearly thinking of you while singing it._

'What makes you so sure about that?'

_Duh he's staring at you, not even blinking the whole time he's singing._

'No, that can't be right. Right? Wait who are you?' He eagerly scans his surroundings to see who it was. But to his dismay there was no one in sight and yet…

'What's this creepy feeling that I'm being watched?'

He then resumes his pondering about his sexuality and his sudden attraction to his roommate/friend/cousin of his crush. The complication of their relationship keeps on getting more tangled up. He shakes his head trying to shake off these thoughts. 'Get this in your skull, he is a he. You're not attracted to guys, especially to him… only to girls… only to her, only to Kura.'

_Yeah, keep telling that to yourself. _

'Just stop bugging the hell of me.'

_You wish! I'm you, so I know you more than yourself. I'm your freaking conscience._

'Yeah, righ—' OOF!

Someone bump into him, apologize without acknowledging who he was and run for dear life. "Gomen, I'm in a hurry."

Syaoran looks at its retreating figure and immediately recognizes the guy. 'Ikki?' But before he could even react, squeals and thundering footsteps of the mob of fan girls and boys speedily approach him.

"Not again…" he groaned. Fear of getting sexually harassed from the fanatics, he dashes to the direction that Ikki went to.

- to be continued-

* * *

A/N: Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the songs: "Crazy for this girl" by the Evan and Jaron (Syao's band) and "True" by Ryan Cabrera (Ikki's band).

Aug 24, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 22, 2013 updated


	17. Tension

**Chapter 17: Tension**

The chilly wind brushes through the crowd, giving each of them the unnecessary comfort it brings. The luminous moon casts some shadows of everything it glimpses upon. Among the crowd a weary teenager, glances nervously on her surroundings, cold sweat dripping on her forehead as if she had a fever, and hands uncontrollably trembling on her sides. She struggles to get out of it and find some solace somewhere else.

'Shit I can't control myself from shaking. Why am I this nervous? Is it because of that damn night? Will he see through me?' Sakura picked a stray branch and irately hit things she sees. 'What if he already did? What the f*** will I do?'

"You've got to calm down, Sakura or someone will notice your weirdness. But how could I even face him now?" Sakura sullenly questioned a tree nearby. "Damn it! I'm clearly loosing it!"

'Okay, I've managed to avoid him the whole day, but how long can I keep avoiding him before he notice something's off?' She then again hit every pebble that comes her way. 'I have to figure out something before he finds out.'

Without her usual sensible mind, she began to picture Syaoran in front of her. She instantly forgot that he was just a figment of her imagination and in instinct fidget and squirm in obvious uneasiness. Her heart began to pound loudly that she covered her ears in annoyance. Syaoran then started to walk closer while she tries backing away desperately from him until she lost her balance.

Groaning from the pain in her butt and the dreadful laughter she was anticipating, Sakura closed her eyes tight, willing her way to somehow escape from that situation. But only eerie silence greeted her. Sakura then gradually opened her eyes, and fortunately saw nothing, not even a single soul in sight. 'My f***ing mind is killing me.' She rubbed her eyes for good measure to have it adjust quickly and still found no one.

Assessing her surrounding and her minuscule injury, Sakura shakily stood up and dusted her clothes. 'What's wrong with me? Why? Why the hell did I just freak out from an imaginary Syaoran?'

She groaned for the nth time, frustrated with everything. 'Arghh! I need someone to tell me what this is. But who?'

Sakura slumped at a nearby tree as she wonders who to go to in a process of elimination. "Tomo's hopeless. I don't want to be in the middle of her matchmaking prowess. Andy's no better. She'll practically be helping Tomo for the sheer fun of it. I can't talk to Mei Lin, it's her brother. It would be too awkward. Yuki and Ken are always too close to my brother. Touya might suspect something and knowing Touya, he's gonna kill _him_ even before I could find out about this… Ahhh…" She screamed in frustration as she continues pondering on her options until one name popped out. "Ren!"

She was gazing up the stars for clues on how to ask Ren for help when she heard some yelling.

"Ikki!"

"Am I also hearing things now? How loose are my screws?" She musingly glanced around. "It doesn't sound like my conscience. My conscience wouldn't be stupid enough to call me Ikki. Is it?"

"Ikki!"

"There it goes again?" Sakura again scans around in 360 degrees and was again confounded that she even checks the starlit sky. "Where the hell are those squeals coming from?" She then heard thundering footsteps, different pitches of screaming, squealing and giggling. She hastily turns around to the racket's direction, almost tumble from the force and paled with the huge mob approaching.

Sakura exhaustingly groaned, "Oh shit! Not again?!" mussed her hair in irritation and start running. In her panic, she bumped into someone, apologize without acknowledging who it was and run for dear life. "Gomen, I'm in a hurry."

* * *

Syaoran peeks carefully from his hiding spot as his fans pass. Waiting for the rest of the mob to pass, a particular memory was triggered.

_'Okay, get a grip!' Syaoran scolded inwardly. 'Just need to confirm it.' He stealthily opened the cabin door of the gaki's quarters and peek inside. It was a good thing that the occupants are comfortable of the dark. There were no nightlights or lamps in sight, so he quickly got inside and close the door quietly. _

_The three occupants of the room where luckily still in their dreamscape. In complete silence, Syaoran approached each bunk to identify each one of them. Yuki and Ken where on the left bunks while the gaki was occupying selfishly the opposite bunks. Building up his courage, he then inaudibly advanced to the gaki's bunk. When he was only three feet away from his destination, the gaki stirred to his right and was now facing him. In his panic, not even noticing Touya's closed eyes, Syaoran gawkily sneaked to the bathroom._

_Trying to balance himself, he grabbed the nearest thing he could reach. But like the fate had planned this moment in outmost perfection, the cloth he had grabbed came off its hook and brought him crashing down. A loud thud resounded and he cursed his bad luck as if it would make things go away._

_Scuffling of feet outside the bathroom door was heard and Syaoran could only just dread the inevitable. Two silhouettes loomed at him as the door was opened abruptly. One of them turns on the light in the room and piercingly glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

_Syaoran looked up and met the glare of the gaki and the mirth in the eyes of Yuki. He tried to retort but his throat constrict unwillingly and not a word came out. Touya's face then paled. Eyes wide in shock and jaws apart in a silent scream while Yuki has this amusing smirk pasted on his face. Syaoran subsequently realized that both men were not looking at him but on the cloth in his hands. With fright coursing through his entire body, Syaoran slowly look at his hands. As he looked down, he got a whiff of a familiar scent. And in his hands there lies a plain black boxer with Touya's name on it._

_Before anyone could utter a word, Syaoran scantily throw the boxer in Touya's face, sniffed him for good measure and scamper off for a quick escape while muttering, "Blasted Kinomotos' scent." _

_Touya grabbed his boxer and yelled. "You freak…" But alas, Syaoran lost the chance to hear the colorful words that came out of Touya's mouth as he raged on and on without realizing the receiver of his outbursts was already out of earshot._

_"That was close." A panting Syaoran berated himself as he was still running like a mad man. "At least, I'm safe it's just the scent." _

_Concluding that he was far enough, he then slow down and walk the rest of the way to their cabin. "But if it's just their scent, then why am I not feeling the same way about Touya?" _

Syaoran shrugged and grumbled at that particular thought, "Stupid logic!" Sensing that the coast is finally clear, he got out of his hiding place and stomped his way to their cabin.

* * *

A lone girl under an enchanting tree, bathe in the light provided generously by the moon and its stars, gazed dazedly heavenwards in silence with the graceful wind. It was like a surreal picturesque scene in a romantic novel, painted in real life.

"Hey kiddo what's up?"

"Ren? You're alone? You weren't followed right? Right?"

Ren just gaped at her, unable to understand her frantic demeanor as Sakura tensely scans around.

Realizing her sudden lack of finesse, "Sorry, I just barely escaped another ambush. They just keep getting better and better with their tracking."

"Paranoia getting into you?"

Sakura closed her eyes and finally relaxed. "How did you find me?"

"Are you questioning my abilities?" Sakura just ruefully smiled. "Kiddo, I've known you since you were born." Ren looked up at the tree, "A cherry blossom tree is quite an obvious hint, don't you think?" then sat down beside her.

"So what's bothering you?" Sakura bowed her head in defeat. Ren could always see through anyone. "C'mon kiddo, you know you can trust me."

"It's not a matter of trust." Sakura finally opens her eyes but refuse to look at him. "Actually, I was really planning to ask for your advice but was stuck on how to approach you about it." Ren just pat her head to let her go on.

As if in pain, her facial features contort as she attempts to elaborate on it. "I just don't know how to explain it. This, this feeling… it's… it's new to me."

"Is it a feeling when that particular person smiled or talked to you, you have this inexplicable thrill that runs through you? If you shared even a second of eye or body contact, a plague of goose bumps invades your entire body? And when you two are left alone, you can't seem to understand why you lack the courage to face him eye to eye?"

Caught off guard, Sakura uneasily tries to clear her throat as to remove the sudden blockage in her throat. "Ho-how…"

Ren looked at his pseudo-best friend in delight, "How do I know? Let's just say that I've gone through it all."

"Then what is it?" Sakura asked in eagerness and desperation.

Ren sighed, "Kid, I think you're falling for him" and at this Sakura fainted.

* * *

"What happened?" Syaoran curiously asked as Ren gently hauled Ikki to his respective bunk.

"He fainted." Ren breathlessly answered. "Guess, trauma from his _fans_."

Syaoran nodded in contemplation. "Can't blame him, I'm having quite the same situation."

"Could you do me a favor?" Sifting through his things, Syaoran just nodded solemnly. "Watch over kiddo, I need to talk to his ex about this."

But before Syaoran could get out a word of protest, Ren was gone. He heaved a heavy sigh to calm down his nerves and slowly stood up to the height of the bunk where Ikki lay.

A few strands of unruly hair was covering Ikki's left cheek as he roll lay flat on the bed. Struggling with self-control not to tuck it back or brush it away, Syaoran bit his lower lip.

But as he fought his desires to brush off those few strands, it instead, triggered a sudden pull. And he unconsciously scrutinizes Ikki's features. From his fair complexion mixed to perfection, to his eye lashes long enough to adorn the edge of his flush cheeks, cute nose artistically perched on the heart of his face and his pink plump lips that entices him to capture it in a sweet quick kiss.

'Do boys normally look this way? He certainly would make a pretty girl if he would be dress like one.' Syaoran suddenly concluded, but then quickly smack himself in the forehead for coming up with it. 'Do boys normally look at other boys this way?'

Unexpectedly, Sakura turn to her side, which was now fully facing Syaoran's face. She whimpered in her sleep and coincidentally grabbed his head like it was another comfy pillow.

Syaoran stiffened and blanched. He didn't dare to move a muscle in fear of waking him up. So he closed his eyes to avoid any unnecessary staring but regretted it immediately as his other senses heightened.

He began to visualize the cheerful Ikki with his exuberant spirit, quick wit, competitive reflexes, and musical ingenuity. He's the only one he knows who have various gestures, gazes, glares, and even different pitches depending on his moods. Ikki's vibrant childish aura and unpredictability coupled with his over-all simplicity when it comes to everything made him stood out from the rest.

"Shit! Why the hell… stupid perceptive brain… Shit!" Syaoran shrugged to clear his haywire thoughts but unfortunately became more aware of something else in return, as Ikki suddenly nuzzled and exhale noisily against his neck bringing a tingling sensation throughout his entire body.

"His skin's soft and smooth like an ordinary girl would have. Is it normal for guys to have those too?" He amusedly pondered as a gentle breeze passed through the open window sending another wave of confusion to his senses.

"Why do they smell exactly the same as if they're the same person?"

He wistfully smiled and muttered, "He really smells nice like Kura" then scrunches his nose in disgust, "and Touya…"

Thing's couldn't get even better for Syaoran. For out of the blue, Ikki loudly moaned. Syaoran could've not stiffened even more if he could. He then opted to just quietly whine his frustrations. "Why is this happening to me?"

Syaoran shook his head as subtly as he could at a certain thought lurking into his mind and countered it before he made any acknowledgement of its presence. "No, girls are my type."

However, as if cursed by fate, Ikki unconsciously snuggled a little bit more into his neck and gave a sigh of contentment.

"I like girls. I like girls. I like girls." Syaoran desperately chanted.

It's really a good thing Ikki's a heavy sleeper.

* * *

Ren have been unfortunately got himself to an unusual cat and mouse chase with his band mates slash ex-friends. He was about to approach them when the two girls suddenly ran for their lives when they caught sight of him.

"When I get my hands on those two?" Ren darkly muttered to himself.

Ren rounded another random corner having no idea where the two wicked matchmakers went and fortunately, find his two conniving band mates.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Tomo stuttered in panic, as if caught red handed with her naughty plots. "Um… to visit Ikki."

"Our cottage is that way." Ren snorted and pointed at the other direction. He tapped his right foot to convey his irritation and impatience for another of their absurd explanations.

"Yeah we heard he's sick or something." Andy replied coolly as if she hadn't heard or notice a thing.

"No, he fainted. Now that he realized what he's feeling."

"Really?" Andy and Tomo squeak/squeal in anticipation; hug each other and then lunged into Ren to suffocate him with their hugs.

Ren gently pried their hands from his body and suspiciously eyed his two mischievous friends, "Now, you two spill!"

* * *

Sakura, who just escaped her loony band mates, this early in the morning, huffed her way into their cabin. She then seek refuge in the bathroom knowing that it was the only place she could have some privacy.

Trying to decipher her situation, her thoughts and her feelings toward that certain someone, she removed her disguise to relieve some of the stress it brought to her. She gently unclasped the pins in her wig and lay it down on the counter, and splashed some water on her face struggling to get rid of her worries. Humming quite loudly, she has failed to notice the door opening slightly.

Syaoran upon hearing splashes of water and having a glimpse of something, 'Oops! Butt? Shit!' quickly close the door noisily before he witnessed some more indecent scenes in it, muttered an apology and hurriedly escape another humiliating bathroom scene.

[BLAG]

Sakura paled. Startled from the disturbance of the loud bang of the door, she wiped off the water from her face and quickly fixed her disguise as she heard an apology from the other side of the door. 'Shit its S-Sy- Syao, did he… did he saw me? Shit, shit, shit… now what?"

* * *

Tomoyo irately asked. "What's with Syaoran?"

"Huh?" Andy furrowed her eyebrows in puzzlement.

"Haven't you notice whenever Sakura is around or before she approached him, he suddenly vanishes." Tomoyo annoyingly pointed out the obvious.

Andy just shook his head and asked again in curiosity, "Huh?"

"So far, this is the third time that he made a disappearing act I've witnessed. One was when Sakura came late at breakfast and the other when we were at their porch after our band rehearsal. Syaoran retreated to the other direction when he notice Sakura was with us in front of their cabin." Tomoyo huffed in frustration.

Mei Lin seconded with another observation, "Yeah this morning before lunch, he suddenly faked an excuse of a pounding headache and fled before anyone could object. I thought he just wanted to get out of helping me but now that you mentioned it, Sakura suddenly approached me a second after he ran out of us."

"I don't get it? I thought he likes Sakura and confides with Ikki." Andy pondered loudly, "Then why is he now avoiding him?"

"Yeah he even stared at her while she was sleeping last night, even arguing with himself." Mei Lin interjected amusedly.

"I really don't get it either." Tomoyo frowned in the sudden turn of events. "We need to do something about it."

"I know just we need." Mei Lin flipped the facilitator's manual and grin.

At page 57 it read:

SUGGESTED GENDER SESSIONS

1. Overnight Bonding Sessions

~ groups of five to ten of the same gender would spend the night on a secluded area and perform suggested activities to achieved desired results.

_*Requires Optional Supervision*_

* * *

"Are you avoiding me?" Sakura slammed the door shut as she finally cornered him after numerous of failed attempts early in the morning and mid-afternoon.

"No, what makes you think that?" Syaoran said while fidgeting and mentally cursing himself. 'Shit! He's on to me. Am I that obvious?'

"Gee, I don't know. Either that or you suddenly aged forty years more and became forgetful." Sakura mocked in annoyance. 'I should be the one avoiding you. Not the other way around. What the hell is going on? Did he saw me in the bathroom? No, that couldn't be it. He would demand some explanation if that was the case not completely shut me out without a word.' Sakura chased those thoughts away and groaned in exasperation.

"What are you on? I really am busy with practice and stuff." Syaoran feign in innocence and threw back the question in defense. "Why would I ever do that to you anyway?" Syaoran then gave her a small smile, "But I really have to go. Miyu's been bugging me on the chords for some song she wanted to polish as soon as possible." Syaoran ruefully smiled at her, grabbed a handful of music sheets, and left a gaping Ikki behind.

Sakura slumped at her bunk and sighed.

"Exactly, just like that!?"

- to be continued-

* * *

A/N: Again sorry for the late update, I've edited the dialogues and reorganized the scenes a dozen of times or even more. This is my favorite chapter hope you have enjoyed it as I have enjoyed writing and revising it. I've turned Ren's description of falling into a poem posted in my fictionpress account. Anyway, thank you for all of those who have reviewed and added this story to their alert/favorite list. I can't thank you all enough!

August 27, 2009 bangag_pa

* * *

June 22, 2013 updated


	18. Detention

**Chapter 18: Detention**

Running like there's no tomorrow, Eriol hastily searched for Tomoyo and Andy to update them with the progress he just witnessed between Ikki and Syaoran. It was a very promising accident to spy on, their roommate unconsciously hugging his stunned cousin. Upon witnessing, the only rational thought that crossed his mind was to quickly pass the information to the masterminds and get his _sweet, oh so sweet_, reward for it.

Eriol finally found his source of inspiration these days as he went round another corner. He approached his recent love interest, ignoring the two persons she's with. He unceremoniously grabbed her arm and drags her gently but swiftly to their cabin hoping that the moment hasn't passed yet.

Tomoyo struggled in futile as she try to scream everything she got. While Ren and Andy after having the shock from the sudden intrusion hurriedly followed the duo.

Five paces away from the cabin, Eriol attempted to placate Tomoyo into submission and gesture for her to quietly comply. Tomoyo finally having an idea of what's going on shuts up and quickly approached the cabin stealthily and got the surprise she'd been dreaming of for days.

Out of curiosity, Andy and Ren followed their lead and peaked inside the cabin just in time to see the shock of their life.

"Shit! Why the hell… stupid perceptive brain… Shit!" Syaoran shrugged to clear his haywire thoughts but unfortunately became more aware of something else in return, as Ikki suddenly nuzzled and exhale noisily against his neck bringing a tingling sensation throughout his entire body.

"His skin's soft and smooth like an ordinary girl would have. Is it normal for guys to have those too?" He amusedly pondered as a gentle breeze passed through the open window sending another wave of confusion to his senses.

"Why do they smell exactly the same as if they're the same person?"

He wistfully smiled and muttered, "He really smells nice like Kura" then scrunches his nose in disgust, "and Touya…"

Thing's couldn't get even better for Syaoran. For out of the blue, Ikki loudly moaned. Syaoran could've not stiffened even more if he could. He then opted to just whine his frustrations. "Why is this happening to me?"

Syaoran shook his head as subtly as he could at a certain thought lurking into his mind and countered it before he made any acknowledgement of its presence. "No, girls are my type."

However, as if cursed by fate, Ikki unconsciously snuggled a little bit more into his neck and gave a sigh of contentment.

"I like girls. I like girls. I like girls." Syaoran desperately chanted.

"That's so cute!" Tomoyo try to repress her squeals in delight of what she just witnessed.

"I never thought my cousin would be this desperate to chant "I like girls" to reassure himself of his gender preference." Eriol mused in wonder just as Syaoran attempts to remove Sakura's hold in him. Unfortunately, this gesture awakens his sleeping roommate. Syaoran quickly and quietly ducked to his bed just below Sakura's and feigned sleep.

And this time its Sakura's turn to stare at him and appreciate his physique. After her fair time of ogling, Sakura sighed in hopelessness of her current situation. She brushed a few of his errant hair to its side to see his face more, thinking, when did it all start? When did she suddenly allow herself to plunge and finally take the free fall?

* * *

Shaking with excitement from the memo they've received, Drew and Ivan jumped for joy, discovering they're having the closed-door session with Syaoran and Ikki. "Sorry girls! Better luck next time." The blond vocalist of Stardust mocked his band mates.

Kia scowled in jealousy and slumped in a nearby couch while Rena stomped in tantrum and almost attack her friend. "This is so unfair!"

"Well dear, I'll just give them each a kiss for you" Ivan ruffled the redhead as he give the other a flying kiss in sympathy "and a hug for you."

"Whatever."

* * *

"So the bonding session is just an excuse to have a full-blown party?"

The once conference room in camp used by the facilitators for meetings where now packed with underage drunks. The booming music, rowdy conversations, boisterous laughter and comical antics greeted the two latecomers.

"How did they get the booze passed the staff?" Sakura asked as she peered inside the door.

"If there's a will there's a way?" Some drunk interjects while handing them two bottles of beer each.

Ren placed the extra bottle on a window sill nearby and grabbed Sakura's shoulder before they both got lost in the crowd. "I know you could hold your liquor very well but ease up a bit. You might spill your guts on someone, telling them every single secret you have."

Letting go of his hold on his younger pseudo-sibling, Ren took a swig on his beer. "Besides, you know your cousin has low alcoholic tolerance and his rep is pretty well known around here."

Sakura rubbed her side as another drunk hastily passed by them, accidentally bumping hard on her side.

Checking if it's safe to continue their discussion, "Also be careful with whatever you drink." Ren took this time wolf down his beer almost finishing up his once three-fourths full bottle. "Even if it's an all male party there are still those among us who will be desperate enough to drug someone they like." Ren scanned their surrounding, "Specifically those guys over there, looking hungrily at us." Sakura shuddered.

"Remember your upholding your cousin's rep. He is quite a favorite among male fans and bands. They held him in a pedestal because of his looks and talents. Those guys have been eyeing you since we walk in." Ren took another glance and check on the predatory aura of the group, "I believe they're one of those newcomers this year." Returning his glance on Sakura, "Look kiddo, I can't always keep an eye on you here, so be extra cautious and try to just blend in with familiar faces you trust."

Sakura fearfully stare at the alcohol she's holding. "Don't worry, I know that guy, so those drinks are safe." She gulped, nodded feebly and took a swig.

* * *

"C'mon Touya facilitators are allowed to participate but had no right to meddle in it." Yuki tries to pull away his best friend from barging in the cottage.

"My brother is not a homosexual stalker thank you very much." Mei Lin haughtily replied.

Touya seethed. "Oh yeah then what the heck was the other night?"

_Disoriented from the sudden noise that woke him up, Touya clumsily scuffles to their bathroom. Yuki joined him as he was about to open the door. He then blindly feels his way on the wall to find the switch and turn it on. Blood ran out of his face as he saw the abomination on their bathroom floor. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

_The brat looked up and met his glare and the mirth in the eyes of Yuki. He tried to retort but his throat constrict unwillingly and not a word came out. Touya's face then paled. Eyes wide in shock and jaws apart in a silent scream while Yuki has this amusing smirk pasted on his face. Syaoran subsequently realized that both men were not looking at him but on the cloth in his hands. With fright coursing through his entire body, Syaoran slowly look at his hands. As he looked down, he got a whiff of a familiar scent. And in his hands there lies a plain black boxer._

_Before anyone could utter a word, Syaoran scantily throw the boxer in Touya's face, sniffed him for good measure and scamper off for a quick escape while muttering, "Blasted Kinomotos' scent." _

_Touya grabbed his boxer and yelled. "You freaking gaki…" _

Mei Lin paled and stuttered to make an explanation. "Umm… That was…a dare?"

"See… he _is_ gay!" Touya points exasperatedly at Mei Lin.

"But Touya, there's nothing to be worried about. It's not as if Sakura has a thing for him." Ken countered wittily.

That made Touya calmed down a bit. But there's still this nagging feeling at the pit of his stomach to think twice, and a dozen more times even.

"Besides, Ken and I would not let anything jeopardize her cover and would clearly interfere if it ever needed be. You, on the other hand would just be difficult. You're bound to loose your cool and blow her cover." Yuki tries to soothe him but barely managed to. He then eyed Mei Lin to do something about it.

Mei Lin sighed in compliance and halfheartedly approached the seething overprotective moron. "C'mon"

Touya merely gaped at her in confusion as she continuously coaxed him to follower her. "Wh-what the—"

"Let's go before I changed my mind." Mei Lin annoyingly rolled her eyes at him for choosing to be dense at that particular moment.

"Where?"

"Let's just get out of here to cool you down a bit."

"You mean like a date?" Touya suddenly lit up in realization. "A date!"

"Yeah, whatever." Begrudged, Mei Lin scowled at Yuki and Ken, inaudibly mumbled something, drop his arm and walk ahead of him.

Touya dazedly grinned at his smirking friends and followed Mei Lin as he muttered those two words hypnotically. "A date, a date, a date!"

* * *

Sakura took a seat in a corner with Yuki, Ken and Ren after securing another round for them. She was about to put on her earphones when a familiar roommate sat beside her. "Hey."

"Umm…" But before Syaoran could respond to her greeting, a sickening voice interrupted, "So you really are an item?"

"Excuse me?"

"The rumors about you two," the blonde guy named Drew pointed at Sakura and Syaoran, "Its true then?"

"What the—" Sakura didn't get the chance to finish her curse as Syaoran denied heatedly. "No, it isn't—"

"Oh yeah? Then do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, but that's not the point here."

"I think it is." The redhead smugly concluded.

Ken and Yuki, started to stand up from their seats to break up the discussion when Syaoran stood before them, and admitted in frustration, "I do like someone."

"Ikki?" Drew insisted stubbornly.

"No" Sakura cringed at the blunt rejection but Syaoran took no notice of it.

"Then who?"

"Why should I tell you? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Then it only proves that…"

"Fine, it's Kura."

"Kura? Who's that? Is that even a girl's name?" The redhead, Ivan, mockingly asked.

"Kura, Touya Kinomoto's sister." Yuki interject as he stood in front of Sakura.

Ken followed suit his best friend's stand, positioning himself on Yuki's left and added, "Kura, Ikki Kinomoto's cousin."

"Kura, rhythm guitarist and vocalist of Convicted Mind." Ren finished up the description as he hid Sakura's reaction from everyone along with Yuki and Ken.

The four young tormentors gaped and squealed in unison, "You mean THE Sakura Kinomoto."

Syaoran blushed furiously in embarrassment, Sakura visibly paled in her predicament. Ren, Yuki and Ken feigned indifference while Eriol who suddenly appeared beside Syaoran smirked. "Yeah."

"But she's a lesbian!"

Sakura finally snapped from her trance and roared, "The hell I'm—" Ren nudged her hard thankfully no one notice her uproar due to the deafening rock music coursing in the cabin.

"She's not." Syaoran stared at the guy who also suddenly appeared out of nowhere and defended Sakura before he could scream and stick it to the accusers.

"Who are you?" asked the blond inquisitor mesmerized by the man in front of him as Syaoran scowled at the intruder.

Sakura, on the other hand, paled and clutched tightly to Ren's side hiding her face behind her pseudo brother and whispered, "What's he doing here?"

Ken who had also heard her whisper answered in behalf of Ren, "It was a surprise visit. He arrived earlier and wanted to check on things."

"Why didn't anyone told me about it then?" Sakura gritted her teeth in frustration of being discovered by her ultimate crush. "I swear I'm going to kill that stupid cousin of mine the first time I saw him."

"Plotting murders for your deranged cousin won't make things better." Yuki chastised her quietly. "Just act indifferently as Ikki would do with Kyu."

"Kyu Lin, a friend of Sakura." The redhead introduced himself.

Ken draped an arm around his shoulder as he introduced him further. "Nephew of the owner of this camp and the vocalist of their band, Shards. They didn't get to participate this year because a member of their band got into an accident."

"Anyway, why are we discussing Kura-chan's sexual orientation?" Kyu asked his senior animatedly. "I never thought of hearing those things about her. She's too pure to be suspected as one. Don't you think?" Sakura blushed at the compliment and further pressed her face onto Ren's back to hide it.

"What's your proof?"

Fed up with the charade, Ren answered instead, "She's still hung up with someone I know." Sakura stiffen in respond. Ren tap her head and just smile in assurance that her secret is safe with him.

"Who?" Syaoran and the young tormentors asked again in chorus, the angry uproar from Syaoran and the excitement shriek for gossip of the others. And thus, gathered a small crowd around them. While Kyu just glanced at Ren in surprise also curious with the sudden news.

Yuki and Ken smirk and nod at each other in consent. "You wouldn't know him even if we tell you his name." Yuki rescued as Ken added angrily. "So just dropped it and mind your own business."

"Fine, she's not a lesbo but I still believe Syaoran and Ikki are an item."

"What the f*#$ I already told you I have the hots for the opposite sex. G-I-R-L-S. GIRLS!"

"Fine, we've established you like _a_ girl but we hadn't ruled out either one of you" pointing at Syaoran and Sakura, "being attracted to boys or to each other."

"Yeah, there's a possibility of you guys being bisexuals." Ivan added. "And we totally dig that too." Another one commented while the rest of the guys agreed and seconded.

Syaoran, Sakura and Ken jaws dropped. Yuki and Kyu snickered in amusement while Ren shrugged tiredly.

"Oh c'mon guys give these two a break." Having enough entertainment for the night, Eriol sympathetically defended. Thus, making Syaoran sighed in relief, "Yeah."

"But Tomoyo and Andy confirmed this to us, that you guys are for real."

'I'm going to murder those two.' Sakura silently promised, took another swig from her beer and lamely explained, "Those two are just having their usual attention deficit disorder phase. It comes once or twice a month depending on their intake of sugar."

"Yeah" Syaoran reluctantly agreed staring at her silently asking what the hell she's on herself.

"Tomo's jealous of everyone around me. Unfortunately, at that time it was Syao who was with me."

"Yeah"

"It's all just a really big misunderstanding, blown up into proportions."

"Yeah."

Annoyed, Sakura shifted her gaze at her supposed boyfriend, "Is that all you can say?"

"Yeah."

Sakura fumed in frustration and glared at him. Syaoran got the message and began to explain. "I mean," He got beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, "we're just buddies, nothing more."

"Well if that's the case…" Drew haven't been able to finish his sentence as he gave some sort of signal to his friends as they suddenly advanced slowly at them, mirth dancing in their eyes.

Sensing the sudden change of atmosphere, Syaoran and Sakura looked at each other, silently conversed with their eyes, nodded at each other then bolted out the door in sync. Their male fans-slash-stalkers-slash-tormentors closely behind them.

* * *

"I think we lost them."

"Good. Wait, how the heck they got in here the first place? Isn't the session for band members only?"

Sakura stare at him like his an idiot before replying, "They're fans not delinquents," she dusted her shirt in frustration, "and unfortunately, they're in a band. We're just fortunate enough they're not are roommates and haven't located yet our sleeping arrangements."

"But what if they already know about it and are now plotting something for our return." Syaoran shuddered uncontrollably.

"Bite you're tongue." She gritted and plead for a heavenly intervention.

* * *

"So how was it?"

"Everything's going according to plan."

"Good. Report back to me every ten minutes."

"Roger."

* * *

'Not again.' Syaoran sighed in frustration, alone with Ikki and trap in the most unexpected place they could possibly hide. In a girl's restroom. "Are you sure we're safe in here? What if a girl or a bunch of them suddenly came?"

"They won't." Sakura confidently retorted as she peek outside the door for any sign of their frantic pursuers. "They're having their own session on the other side of camp. There are plenty of restrooms around there."

Somewhat relieve that their pursuers won't ever think to search them in it, Syaoran paced in silence. Taking in the last place he thought he will ever be in his life. "So this is what it looks like in a girl's lavatory?"

"What do you expect, it's nothing unusual."

Syaoran stared at her with wide surprised eyes, "This isn't your first time huh?"

"Of course it isn't" Sakura carelessly replied, and cursed herself as she caught herself exposing the truth. 'Oh shit!'

"You're a pervert!" Syaoran amusedly accused and release a chuckle from his ingenious deductions, "a little naughty peeping Tom aren't you?"

Sakura glared hard on him as she defended her cousin's honor, "I'm not." But Syaoran didn't stop berating her for her "naughty hobby" as he quoted it. Frustrated, Sakura screamed, "Stop it! I'm not a pervert or a peeping Tom." Sakura paced in front of her tormentor as she comes up with an excuse. "A month ago, a girl in my year who is obsessed with me pulled me in and tried to get away with me. Fortunately Andy came out of a cubicle and whisk me away from my rapist."

"Wow, you really are a ladies' man."

Hiding her anxiety, she smugly retorted, "Yeah, is it too hard to believe?"

"Dude, I'm just playing." Syaoran clamped his hand on her shoulders.

"Fine, just don't do it again, my ego bruised easily."

A sudden noise from the door was heard. The two braced themselves from the oncoming attack that they will receive. But nothing came. After a minute or two passed, Sakura cautiously approached the door and try to peek through it to check what the noise was all about. Nevertheless, whatever she do it won't budge. Something or someone is blocking their only way out.

"The door's not budging, something heavy is behind it. I can't push it open. Here you try." Sakura whined.

After their futile attempts for their escape, Sakura asks Syaoran the question that's been nagging her for quite sometime now. Why he like her when he doesn't even know the girl in the first place. Only chat to her once, bump to her twice and seen her in person thrice. They weren't even formally introduced to each other. "Is it even real or was it just an excuse?"

"Wh—uh?"

"Why do you like my cousin, Kura?" Sakura averted her gaze from him, 'Why me?'

"I don't know…"

"You don't know?" She bellowed.

No clue at all of the attraction he has for her. "It just hit me."

"Oh"

"So what is she like?"

"Huh?"

"Kura, who is she? What is she like?"

"I'm her cousin, aren't you afraid I'll be biased?" Silence answering her, Sakura cursed for her rotten bad luck and come up with a lame excuse. "Besides, I can't really tell you we're not that close." Sakura fidgeted nervously as to what she's going to be asked next. "You can ask Ren."

"Ren?" Jealousy flashed through his amber eyes. Catching it, Sakura cleared up her relationship with Ren. "He's like another older brother to her, the complete opposite of Touya."

Silence ensued as neither of them knew what to say to each other. Tired of the awkwardness between them Sakura feigned her famous cousin's tolerance to alcohol. "I think I drank too much." She wobbly saunter to the sink and carefully splashed her face without ruining her disguise.

"Oh, so the rumors are true."

"What rumors?"

"You can't hold your own liquor." Syaoran leaned on the sink beside her as he stares into space recalling something he heard earlier. "I heard someone discussing your low tolerance on alcohol and plotting to get you drunk to have their way with you."

"WHAT?"

"And the scary part is I didn't hear it from the girls."

Sakura shuddered, clumsily walk to a nearby wall and slumped as a normal drunk would be. "Hey are you okay?"

"Yeah, just need to rest my eyes for a bit."

Syaoran just sat beside him quietly. He was again at his crux and contemplated on what to do. He gathered his strength to avert his eyes from lingering to the only person in the room. But due to mild intoxication, his damn control broke. He then stared openly at his current fascination, unconsciously closing the gap between them. Like how normally gravity works, captivated by the pull he leans forward until their lips locked.

Sakura whose already in a brink of sleep, thought it was just a dream and responded to the kiss. After a few minutes as Syaoran's hand went through her hair, he realized something amiss. He's kissing a guy and not just any guy; it's the cousin of the girl he's pinning for and his new friend. He instantly stopped his ministrations and tried to calm his nerves. Palms sweating, on the verge of hyperventilating, he checked on his sleeping friend. 'Good he's still out of it.'

But little did he know, Sakura was now wide awake and feigning sleep and was now fighting her nerves to not redden at what happened and get caught.

Syaoran muttered a silent curse before scooting away from her and just try to sleep it off; never occurring to him that the recipient of his brief boldness responded eagerly with his affirmation.

* * *

Back at the party, Kyu, Ren, Yuki and Ken flauntingly drank into their hearts' content. "Is it always this exciting in camp?" Kyu asked the remaining crowd.

- to be continued-

* * *

A/N: I'm really sorry for the very delayed update. I hope this long chapter would appease your anger. Anyway, Kyu Lin's name is from _**Kyu**_hyun from superjunior and Ariel _**Lin**_ of ISWAK and TKA.

February 28, 2010 bangag_pa

* * *

June 22, 2013 updated


	19. Realization

**Chapter 19: Realization**

_"What's in it for us?" Drew pouted on the proposition presented to them while a red-head hovered beside him trying to read the paper his holding._

_"Yeah, if we do this, what payment awaits for us?" Ivan circled the blue-eyed guitarist with gleaming interest._

_Crossing her legs and leaning to her soon-to-be hired help, a certain cunning mastermind softly laughed. "Oh I know exactly what you want." She leaned backed and played with some of her loose strands. "I know for a fact that you're a huge fan of Busted Halo." _

_At this, Ivan and Drew beamed in anticipation on what's coming with this voraciously tempting proposal._

_Tomoyo trying to prolong their wait; examined her nails one by one until she finished all ten before blurting out, "What would you say with a night with Ken and Yuki?"_

_"Seriously?" Drew asked in gaping eagerness as his friend stares blankly at Tomoyo and her cute blue-haired companion._

_Tomoyo smiled in response, too engaged on holding in her laughter._

_"The whole night, all by ourselves?" Drew clapped in exuberance as he saw the black-haired girl known as the cousin of one Touya Kinomoto._

_At this point, Ivan snapped out of his trance due to the excessive clapping his best friend is making. He eyed the two suspiciously, "What about Touya? Why is he not part of the bargain?"_

_Eriol, who had stayed quiet for the whole meeting, blurt out in annoyance. "You seriously want **"the grouch"** to eat you alive, us included if he happens to know we involved his moody ass in this?"_

_Ivan and Drew shuddered in the memory of the first-hand experience of the notorious temper of the leader of the band. "N-never mind." Ivan stuttered in fear._

_Drew on the other hand, shook his head to clear off the trauma and answered in behalf of his friend. "Fine, we're in." He didn't even bother to look for his friend's confirmation on it. "When will we start this?"_

_"Tomorrow night."_

_"Wait, that's when the session would–"_

_"Exactly."_

_"I can't wait."_

_"Me too. Me too." _

_Eriol perked up as he had a glimpsed of Tomoyo's devious face, for sneakiness is such a turn on._

**_Paper bags and plastic hearts_**

**_All are belongings in shopping carts_**

**_Its goodbye_**

**_But we got one more night_**

**_Let's get drunk and ride around_**

**_And make peace with an empty town_**

**_We can make it right_**

'Hmmm… I didn't imagine it right?' A confused girl camouflaged as her cousin drags a small branch in circles as she ponders on another bathroom incident. 'If it's a dream then… why would my lips still tingle from it? Never had a very realistic dream before...'

Tossing the branch to the side, she grabbed a stone and threw it to a nearby trash can. 'But why would he kiss me knowing I'm a boy. And not just any other boy, but **_the_** boy who's also the cousin of the girl he's obsessed with.'

'Maybe he really is gay?' Missing the can by an inch, she then grabbed another one to take another shot. This time the stone went in perfectly. She picked another one as to stop her hands from fidgeting too much. 'Then why would he desperately try to pursue the real me?'

'He's bisexual?' With that thought, she accidentally threw it with more force than she intends making the stone hit the side of the can and bounce back to her direction. 'Am I just an excuse to hide his true preference which is men?' Still in a trance, she never noticed this and took the deflected stone in the head. "Ouch." She glared at the tree as she blames it for the hit she took. "This is so confusing. The hell, I'm talking to myself again."

**_Throw it away_**

**_Forget yesterday_**

**_We'll make the great escape_**

_"This way."_

_"You sure?" A huffing blonde asked his accomplice running beside him pointing to the left of the intersecting corridors a few feet away from them._

_"Yeah."_

_"Okay, phone them and tell them they're on the way."_

_The red head nodded and quickly grabbed his phone and dial away._

_"So how was it?"_

_"Everything's going according to plan."_

_"Good. Report back to me every ten minutes."_

_"Roger."_

**_We won't hear a word they say_**

**_They don't know us anyway_**

_Hidden near the girl's restroom, Tomoyo, Andy, Rika and Miyu crouches behind an oak tree with portable screen in front of them, watching what's happening in the restroom._

_"It just hit me."_

_"Awww…" Four girls sighed in four different pitches._

_"Are you recording this? Meilin would flip if she sees this." Miyu unabashedly and thoughtlessly asked._

_"Who do you think I am? This isn't my first time honey. I'm a professional." Tomoyo replied harshly, obviously offended by the question._

_Andy lightly elbowed and reprimanded her best friend from her blabbering. "Will you just shut up I can barely hear them?" _

_"Fine. Fine" Tomoyo huffed in annoyance._

_"What rumors?"_

_"You can't hold your own liquor." Syaoran leaned on the sink beside her as he stares into space recalling something he heard earlier. "I heard someone discussing your low tolerance on alcohol and plotting to get you drunk to have their way with you."_

_"What?"_

_"And the scary part is I didn't hear it from the girls."_

_Sakura shuddered, clumsily walk to a nearby wall and slumped as a normal drunk would be. "Hey are you okay?"_

_"Yeah, just need to rest my eyes for a bit."_

_"Is she that good of an actress?" Rika mused._

_Tomoyo smirked. "Hardly, she's not even a good liar until now."_

_"I guess it comes out when you really need to." Miyu shrugged._

_"OH MY GOD!" "WHAT THE?" "SHIT!" "WAAA!" The four girls hysterically squealed, screamed, yelled, and shrieked as to what they just witnessed._

_Rika asked in utter confusion, "Did he just?"_

_"Yes" Miyu automatically answered._

_"But he just kissed—" Rika blurted out as she still can't make up her mind if she's hallucinating or not._

_"I know." Tomoyo responded as Miyu just nodded and Andy still on a dazed._

_"OH Shit!"_

**_Watch it burn_**

**_Let it die_**

**_Cause we are finally free tonight_**

Again, finding himself arguing with his conscience, Syaoran stamps his way into the forest. Grasping nature's calming effects as the late afternoon breeze washes over his perplexing disposition.

_You kissed him. _

'I know.'

_Truly, utterly kiss him on the lips, man!_

'I know.'

_The "I'm not gay mantras" not going to work this time._

'I know.'

_You know agreeing with me, won't make me disappear._

'Just shut the hell up!'

_Fine, only this once; as you're finally agreeing with me._

'I guess I have to accept this.' Syaoran sighs inaudibly. 'I'm attracted to _him_. I can't deny it anymore.'

Arriving in a fork of the dirt path, Syaoran then decided to take the old path to the rumored location of the lake. 'That kiss meant something.' He continues his trek until his feet reaches the shallow water of the shoreline.

He gazes at the view that the lake projects and finds the needed comfort of serenity it offers. 'Eventually, I have to face him and tell him what I feel about him.'

'But how?' He ponders, as he attempts to skip a stone on the flat surface. A couple of tries and failing both, he slumps to the ground and threw another one in contempt. 'To hell with it!'

Finally finding resolve on the course of action his going to take, Syaoran starts his search for his new fixation.

'But what would he say? Would he shove me away? Be disgusted and avoid me like a plague? Karma could really bite you in the ass.'

**_Tonight will change our lives_**

**_It's so good to be by your side_**

After making a fool out of herself again and gaining a bump with it, Sakura started walking to the agreed meeting place. She then again, started to brood over on a conversation she had with Syaoran the other night.

_"Who's Kyu?"_

_"What?" Sakura gasped taken aback by his sudden inquisition. Kyu, her crush since the sixth grade. Etc etc _

_"He seems to know Kura a lot." _

_"He's just a friend."_

_"You sure?"_

_"Yeah." Sakura sadly confirmed. 'Wish it was something more though.'_

Sakura darted on a worn out path as she tries to compare the two guys she's confused with. 'I've known Kyu for ten years now while I just got to know Syao for a few days.'

'Kyu's the epitome of the ideal guy of any girls dream: smart but down to earth, filthy rich but simple, charming yet humble, talented but modest, mischievous but thoughtful.' Sakura smiled at the thought of Kyu, a dear friend. And guess, will always be just a friend.

She shrugged as she quickens her pace. And her thoughts drifted to a certain amber-eyed boy. 'Syaoran's intelligent though sarcastic, filthy rich but oblivious, good looking but opportunistic, talented but very competitive, spirited yet vindictive.' Sakura eyed again the orange sky as the sun begins to set, trying again to find the answers she's been looking for. 'But who does he really like? Me as Sakura or the current me as Ikki?'

"Stupid brain! I'm getting ahead of myself!"

**_But we'll cry_**

**_We won't give up the fight_**

"Where the hell did he go?" Syaoran mused loudly. "I swear I saw him go through here." He sprints to his left as he figured it was the direction that Ikki went to. Running for five minutes, he then admitted defeat until he heard some rustling to his right, a few feet away from him.

"Are you sure you're not followed?"

"Of course I am. What do you think I am a four year old who doesn't know if she's being followed or not?"

"Uh yeah?"

"Really?"

"Shut up!"

"That voice sounds familiar." Syaoran started to follow the voices he heard.

**_We'll scream loud at the top of our lungs_**

**_And they'll think it's just cause we're young_**

**_And we'll feel so alive_**

Syaoran then found two familiar voices and had the shock of his life. He almost fainted as he saw two Ikkis talking with each other.

'Twins.'

_Really? That's the best you can come up with? _

'Bu-but, i-it ca-n't be?'

_Dude, f $#ng open your eyes._

Shrugging away his own thoughts, he then focused on the conversation taking place.

"Finally!" Sakura who still in her disguise hugged his look alike cousin. "You jerk, what took you so long?"

"The traffic?"

"The hell. What traffic?" Sakura glared at her cousin. "You've got to be kidding me? A traffic for the whole day?" Sakura threw a sucker punch at the idiot she decided to call disgustingly-ugly-butt headed-cousin. She just decided on that a few minutes ago on her trek. "You ass, you should've been here yesterday. You're a day late."

"Hey I said five days, didn't I?"

"Yeah five days, this is my sixth day Einstein, been here since day one."

"Yeah but at the orientation you replaced Andy not me. So you've become me since day two so technically its only five days you have to be me and not six."

"Ass."

Ikki just smirked.

**_Throw it away_**

**_Forget yesterday_**

**_We'll make the great escape_**

**_We won't hear a word they say_**

**_They don't know us anyway_**

**_Watch it burn_**

**_Let it die_**

**_Cause we are finally free tonight_**

Too many questions popped in, that in any minute now would cause an explosion and give him permanent brain damage.

'Ikki has a twin?'

'When did that happen?"

'I thought he was an only child?' Syaoran started pacing in contemplation. 'Wait, we never talk about any sibling at all.'

'He never told me he has one?'

'Shit, what if he has not only got a twin but…' Syaoran paled considerably. 'What if they were triplets or quadruplets or more?'

'How the hell would I know which once is which?'

'Wait, replaced? Why would he need a replacement? Ikki's not Ikki but his brother?'

_Again, try shutting up and listen you moron._

"Thanks Kura! I really owe you this one!" One of the Ikkis beamed while the one sigh in frustration. "It's nothing."

"NO it's not! I owe you big time. You've posed for me for _five_ days." The taller Ikki hug the shorter one. "Just tell me anything and I'll do it for you!

"There's no need," the shorter one shrugged. "We're family after all."

**_All of the wasted time_**

**_The hours that were left behind_**

**_The answers that we'll never find_**

**_They don't mean a thing tonight_**

Then one of the Ikkis took out her disguise piece by piece, starting with the wig. "This outfit is hot and this wig makes me really itchy.'

"OH so that's why you're cringing every five minutes. I thought you've developed some kind of mild epilepsy by glimpsing on too much naked male chests eh?' Ikki slyly wink at his younger cousin.

Sakura roughly shouldered her cousin in total exasperation. "Shut up! You totally owed me big time."

"I know Sakura." Ikki muttered seriously, that made Sakura stop fidgeting with her disguise for awhile as she never heard her cousin call her by her name. He always calls her squirt, cuz or some other nickname he could come up with but never her name.

Meanwhile a few feet away, a certain amber-eyed boy steps back from the shock; accidentally, stepping on a stray twig snapping it in two.

"What's that?" Sakura jerked at the noise, looking around as she tries to locate the source.

Ikki just calmly scans the area and shrugged nonchalantly. "Must be an old branch falling."

**_Throw it away_**

**_Forget yesterday_**

**_We'll make the great escape_**

**_We won't hear a word they say_**

**_They don't know us anyway_**

After what he discovered just a few seconds ago, he continually and unconsciously back away until he reached a clearing near the railing surrounding the compound.

'Sa-sakura a-and I-ikki… Wa- what?' He shook his head trying to convince himself that maybe what he saw was just an illusion of some sort, that he's mind is trying to conjure to save face from his sudden change of gender preference. 'It's either that or there's two Ikkis.'

_Oh c'mon, you're smarter than that!_

He's getting used to talking to his mind to the point that it didn't freak him out anymore. 'But she's the same… I kissed him... no… her… I'm not GAY!'

_Good for you, Einstein!_

Syaoran giddy from relief whooped in the air pumping his fist as high as he could. In a good mood, he started trekking his way back to where Sakura is.

'But… Oh Shit!' He stopped on his tracks as he remembers something crucial. 'He… she knows that I… and yet she… The hell…'

He punched the nearest thing in his reach, unfortunately for him it was a Sakura tree. Subsequently, Sakura petals rain down on him. He then notice what tree he had put his frustration on. Being reminded by her, he spar with the tree for almost five minutes until he was out of breath. Blinded by rage and oblivious to everything else, he didn't even noticed the blood that oozed out on his right cheek from a splinter of bark cut through it. 'Damn it!'

**_Throw it away_**

**_Forget yesterday_**

**_We'll make the great escape_**

**_We won't hear a word they say_**

**_They don't know us anyway_**

"I never thought we'll pull it through. Thanks cuz!" Ikki then tries to ruffle her short auburn hair as she put some distance between them to avoid the onslaught.

"The hell you are." Sakura sized up his cousin for the nth time and reply in sarcasm, "Thanks, isn't enough for the shit you put me through."

"Whoa! What happened to the little innocent squirt I used to know?" Ikki bewilderedly shook Sakura violently as if the reputed naïve cousin of his would come back. "I never heard you cussed this much."

Sakura shrugged. "Sorry, it's the stress of pretending to be you and the pressure those sicko band mates of yours, except Ren of course, put me through."

"Andy and Tomo really gave you a hard time didn't they?" Ikki sighed. "Those two really won't stop interfering with anything to do with you. They're that fond of you cuz."

Sakura quietly kicked some leaves at her feet as she tries not to drift off their conversation. She lately looses focus easily and thinks of Syaoran most of the time. She can no longer control how she frequently thinks of him.

"I'm really sorry squirt for putting you thru all this. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Sakura sigh in utter annoyance of repeating herself. "There's no need, even though you're extremely disgustingly, ugly and butt headed, you're still family."

"No, really, I'll find some way to get back at you."

**_Throw it away_**

**_Forget yesterday_**

**_We'll make the great escape_**

**_We won't hear a word they say_**

Walking aimlessly, Syaoran still finds himself a few paces away from Ikki/Sakura's last known direction though not as stealthily as he did before. He made a bunch of crunching noises stepping in a lot of twigs and dried leaves around.

"What was that?" Sakura asked as she again looks around for the source of the noise but found nothing.

Ikki stayed still as he tried to listen as if waiting for some more noises. "Don't worry about it; it might be just a bear looking for some honey or something."

"A bear? Here?" Sakura shudders as her eyes darted from left to right anticipating the direction the bear would come from.

"Relax squirt. I'm just kidding. Might just be a bunny hopping around."

**_They don't know us anyway_**

**_Watch it burn_**

**_Let it die_**

**_Cause we are finally free tonight_**

"Who's playing?" Ikki casually asks.

Sakura tried to listen intently to distinguish which band is currently on stage. "I think its Scattered-Ashes from one of those preppy schools in Tokyo."

"This song fits our situation like a glove." Ikki draped his arm on his favorite cousin's shoulder as they saunter into the "concert grounds."

Sakura sighed in her cousins' arms, "Yeah, finally free tonight!"

And with that, the last phrase he heard spout out from _"the girl of his dreams"_ Syaoran walks away.

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: I'm really sorry for the very very delayed update. Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls

June 1, 2011 bangag_pa

* * *

June 23, 2013 updated


	20. Confrontation

**Chapter 20: Confrontation**

"Hey, watch out!"

"Oomph what the hell?" Sakura screamed as two bundles of joy assaulted her from behind kicking Ikki out of the way. "Get off!" As Sakura scampers around trying to fend off her obsessed cousin and its zealous minion.

Ren pitifully shake his head from their antics quite unaffected by its normalcy. "I can really feel the love!" Ikki yelled as he get up from the rough ground and try to dust off his soiled self. "I did try to warn you guys." Ren shrugged as Ikki just glared at the two charming pests in his life.

"Finally, I can primp you up properly. I'll make your outfit drool worthy for a certain amber boy." Tomoyo beamed while Sakura's face turned beet red.

"No time."

Still enraptured with her cousin, Tomoyo densely asked. "Huh?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble sweetie but we're on in a few minutes." Ikki sweetly mocked as he walked towards the concert grounds. Unfortunately, they still weren't deterred from harassing Sakura.

"What the f*&^?"

Two black blurs came hurtling towards them almost knocking them off as a pink and purple blur with deafening girlish shrieks trailed behind it. Stunned by the unsettling commotion, Ren sneakily pulled Sakura from Tomoyo's grasp and whispered, "Go on kiddo, run while they're distracted.

**_You've got this new head filled up with smoke_**

**_I've got my veins all tangled close_**

**_To the jukebox bars you frequent_**

**_The safest place to hide_**

"Are they gone?" Ken panted desperately checking if the coast is clear while he tries to catch his breath. His companion however still stood his guard, he drag Ken in front of him so they can both watch over each others' backs. He kept quiet as he tries to decipher any suspicious approaching sounds around them. After a few minutes, he eventually breaks his silence. "I think we finally lost them."

"What was that? Did you get a good look at it Yuki?" Yuki just shrugged in bafflement, completely at a lost to what happened. "Dude, I don't know what I did in my past life but this certainly is over the top!" Ken groaned as he attempts to stretch his aching body to somewhat ease it from soreness.

A series of twigs snapping from their left got Yuki to swiftly yank Ken into the shrubbery near them. Yuki covered his best friend's mouth as he will likely curse the shit out of him. He would rather suffer his deathly glares than be caught by the arrival of the unknown.

**_A long night spent with your most obvious weaknesses_**

**_You start shaking at the thought_**

**_You are everything I want_**

**_'Cause you are everything I'm not_**

The unknown that were chasing the hell out of Ken and Yuki suddenly screeched in annoyance. "I can't take it anymore! UH! I can't believe it!" The pink blur A.K.A Ivan whose wearing a stylish pink themed outfit complementing his reddish hair stomped in place as he rant in tantrum. "My feet hurt and my shoes are ruined from running around."

Drew as in the blonde purple blur dusted himself from the twigs and leaves in his hair and clothing. "I know! They told us we're going to have them for a night for ourselves. I thought we're going to be alone with them in a room or something not chasing them around the compound the whole night."

"AHHH" Ivan suddenly softly pounded the tree dramatically then leaned back on the tree trunk, his right hand on his forehead. "I thought my Yuki fantasy would finally be fulfilled that I could die from the sheer happiness of it." He slides whimsically to the ground with a glazed look in his eye. Witnessing the display of yearning, Yuki almost gave away their hiding spot trying to masked his discomfort by faintly coughing.

Drew arrogantly squashed his friend's daydreaming episode. "Speak for yourself; my Ken fantasy already came true!" He then twirls in little circles as he reminisce, "I saw it in his eyes…" paused for effect and dreamily sighed "…his burning desire for me!" The subject on the other hand, almost lost his breath from his gagging reflexes, more likely choking from utter fear. Yuki tries to console Ken by quietly patting him on the back.

"You're lying when did that happened?!" Ivan pointedly accused his friend as he tries to pick up the trail of their idols. "You're just jealous!" Drew countered following behind.

Yuki and Ken then breathe in relief as the two fanatics walks away. "That was way too close for comfort!"

**_And we lay, we lay together just not_**

**_Too close, too close (How close is close enough?)_**

**_We lay, we lay together just not_**

**_Too close, too close_**

As the sun was about to set into its mother's embrace, a lone figure was again spotted making his way through the banks of the little lake.

'What's this damn stupid feeling in my gut?' Syaoran sighed as he dazedly wanders through the shrubbery further away from the concert grounds. He picked his brains out into exhaustion and has been walking around with this blank expression on his face. Admitting defeat, he punched the nearest tree on his right.

**THWACK**

Several old small branches snapped from the impact and leaves fell around him gracefully as they danced their way down with the soft night breeze.

"Wow, it's so pretty." A girlish gush was heard on the other side of the tree. "It's like green snowflakes!"

He almost lost his footing with the said comment. Realization then dawn on him, recognizing the voice and the quirkiness of the phrase hit him again in the gut. Syaoran had that tendency to flee the scene before she notices but this is way too close to get a clean getaway. Forced into a corner, he impassively staggered to face the owner of the voice still in hesitation on his thoughts of her and what he's going to even say.

**_I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_While I trip over everything you say_**

**_I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_In the worst way_**

"Will you stop jerking every step you took?" Yuki exasperatedly tap Ken in the shoulder who in turn jerked again from the touch.

Ken struggled to get his point across to Yuki. "He… me… desire… they…" He then gave up and starts this freaky cleansing dance. After a few minutes of his insane choreography, he suddenly shuddered and stopped. Convinced that it's safe to touch him again, Yuki pats his back in understanding. "Dude, lighten up! Think of it as some kind of weird fascination." Ken sent him a defiant stare, but it didn't deter Yuki from his teasing. "You should be more flattered. Your appeal can magnetize not only one but both sides!"

"Not funny man." Ken shoved the contact from his friend as Yuki quiver in repressed glee. "I could've been raped." Throwing a hissy fit, he picked up a branch bashing his way through the path until he got unexpectedly yanked by Yuki again. Ken scan his left and right in panic, "Is it them again? Where? Damn it dude, tell me!"

"No look!" Yuki then pointed the two familiar silhouettes on their northeast. "C'mon, let's leave them."

Ken grabbed Yuki sternly, not breaking his gaze from the two. His humorless expression made Yuki swiftly turn to the said direction.

**_My inarticulate store bought hangover hobby kit_**

**_In talks, it says, 'You, oh, you are so cool.'_**

**_Scissor-shaped across the bed_**

**_You are red, violent red_**

**_You hollow out my hungry eyes_**

**_You hollow out my hungry eyes_**

Surprised by the unexpected appearance of the boy she's beginning to fall with, Sakura jumped back a step away from him holding her heart and question her sudden hallucination in front of her, "Syaoran? What are you doing here?" She then notice his tousled hair with leaves sticking to it, a shallow cut in his right cheek, ripped clothes by God knows what, dirt covered sneakers and bleeding hand. Wide-eyed in concern she asked tentatively, "Are you okay?"

"What is it to you anyway?" Syaoran scoffed her concern and purposely avoided her gesture as she attempts to reach out to his injuries. "You don't have to imitate his voice, you know." He glared at the wig she's been holding on with her left hand.

Sakura shocked at the way he talked to her, unconsciously took another step back from his intense scowl. She then followed the direction of his glare and gasped at her mistake. She's been imitating her cousin for five days now that she automatically reverts to his voice and mannerism whenever she's with other people.

Syaoran smirked as he made her speechless. "So why did you do it?" He takes a step forward with every guess he took until he led her back into a corner of a little cottage they suddenly came by. "Is it for the money?" Step. "The fame?" Step. "Blackmail?" Step. "Revenge?" Step. "Am I getting any warmer?" Step. "Or just for the fun of screwing someone over?" Sakura on the other hand, cringed on every step she took back until she felt her back hitting something solid and finally realized she was trapped.

"God damn it! Answer me Sakura!"

**_And we lay, we lay together just not_**

**_Too close, too close (How close is close enough?)_**

**_We lay, we lay together just not_**

**_Too close, too close_**

On the other side of the forest, a giddy sister frantically looks for her baby brother. "Where's that no good brother of mine took off to." Mei Lin pondered quite loudly to herself. Deciding to take the left route she immersed herself again to the news she heard from her band mates that same morning.

_"He what?"_

_"Yup heard it ourselves. Right Yuki?" Mei Lin then turned to Yuki for confirmation and just received an annoying smirk. Still doubting their story, she pressed on. "You sure you guys aren't still drunk?"_

_This time Ken answered her with certainty, "Nope. We didn't drink that much anyway as we used to. Have to be conscious for today."_

_"But he w-"_

_"I know he's not the type to admit his feelings to other people." Yuki went beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Mei we're not lying, I still can't believe it myself." Mei Lin then pulled away from his platonic hug and look through his eyes then to Ken's._

Before she could progressed further into her thoughts she then bumped into the guys themselves.

**_I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_Well I trip over everything you say_**

**_Well I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_In the worst way_**

"Hey guys?" Miyu cheerily greeted. "What are you do-" But before she could even go further with her questioning. Yuki and Ken grabbed her and Rika into hiding, placing a hand in their respective mouths to avoid being heard and seen by the couple they're watching. Satisfied on pacifying the two newcomers, they then turn back their attention to the couple against the wall of a nearby empty cottage.

Syaoran, who's still getting no response from his inquisitions, continued his interrogation. "How stupid do you think I am that I won't notice?"

Syaoran now pacing in front of her; throws accusation after accusation on her. "Is this your band's ploy to win the fucking contest? Get me distracted enough to screw up the songs?"

He then collapsed from mental exhaustion, apathy and humiliation. "And I can't believe it worked!"

"Your brilliant plan, fucking worked!" Syaoran screamed and then harshly and desperately kissed her out of frustration on falling for her as Ikki and as herself. He still can't believe he fell for her stupid act and now his foolish reaction.

Syaoran then sighed in defeat, as he still wasn't able to get anything out of her. "What did I even do to you to deserve this?"

Sakura, who remained quiet all throughout, finally captured his gaze and got smacked down by the hurt and betrayal swimming in his amber eyes. Stunned by the kiss and the discovered emotions behind his eyes, she snapped out of her reverie after a few minutes, only to find out that he's already gone.

**_I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_Well I trip over everything you say_**

**_I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_In the worst way (worst way)_**

"He didn't hear us, did he?" Miyu asked anxiously as she waits from any confirmation with the people around her who are still currently sporting aghast, dumbfounded, flabbergasted and thunderstruck faces. No one dared to break the silence after Miyu's query until they heard muffled sobbing. All five of them knew where it came from and took pity at the sight it presented.

There at the wall where Syaoran left not a few minutes ago, the girl he claimed to have fallen in loved with drowns her sorrows away in her hands. She lay slumped on the dirt, knees bent to her chest as she tries to hide her head in between.

Not knowing what to do due to inexperience, Rika decides to break the silence, "Ho-how could this happen?"

Mei Lin then shook her head from the despondency of the situation. "Miyu and Rika go follow my brother and do whatever you need to do to calm him down. Make sure he doesn't know that you've heard and seen what happened just now. Act as if you've just accidentally bumped into him." Rika and Miyu nodded and sauntered to the path that Syaoran took. Mei Lin turns to the other two only to find them almost reaching Sakura. She hurriedly followed them to comfort the broken girl.

**_I'm gonna make damn sure that you can't ever leave_**

**_No, you won't ever get too far from me_**

**_You won't ever get too far from me_**

**_I'll make damn sure that you can't ever leave_**

**_No, you won't ever get too far from me_**

**_You won't ever get too far from me_**

**_You won't ever get too far from me_**

**_You won't ever get too far..._**

She desperately scanned the grounds as he look for any sign of him. But as the minutes fly by, her sight blurred as her tears spilled from her eyes one at a time. Still unaware of her tears, she frantically rubbed her eyes to clear out her vision. Realization finally hit her when the urge to cry her eyes out became apparent. She slid down to the earth, caught off guard by the overwhelming surge emotions that came from the encounter.

"Kura!"

"Sakura!"

"Squirt c'mon!"

_"I can't believe it worked! You're brilliant fucking plan worked!"_ She can still hear those words ringing repeatedly in her ears. Like a siren, warning her of something worse that's about to come. She curled herself into a ball, arms around her legs and head on her knees while gently rocking herself, head softly banging on the wall.

"She's not responding" Yuki sighed as he tried to gently shake Sakura from her stupor. Ken then turn to their only female best friend as he's also clueless on what to do. "We've been trying to call her but it's like she can't hear us."

In a desperate way to bring her back, Mei Lin hugged her tightly and whispered, "He loves you! He really does. He's just hurt and confused. Please don't give up on my brother. He needs to know how you feel."

Sakura broke Mei Lin's embraced to look her in the eyes. "How I feel?"

Mei Lin nodded, "You're in love with him, right? Just as much, he's head over heels in love with you!" But before she could respond to her older sister figure's assumption, a group of familiar faces sprung in front of her.

"There you are!"

**_I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_Well I trip over everything you say_**

**_Well I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_In the worst way (worst way)_**

Drawing out her innate acting flair, Miyu bounced clumsily dragging her cousin until they deliberately slam into their target. "Hey Syao, fancy meeting you here?" Rika rolled her eyes, nudged her idiotic cousin and whispered, "Mei said to act, not exaggerate." Miyu ignored her cousin's criticism and once again focuses her attention to their brooding leader.

"What the f*&^?"

"Language, language my dear cousin!" Miyu teasingly chastised her temperamental cousin which earned her two different sets of reaction: a dirty look from Syaoran that's obviously annoyed by their sudden appearance and a grimace from Rika, disbelief over the exaggeration of her acting. Miyu brushed off their reactions and ask, "So what are you doing?"

"Walking"

"Where you off to?"

"Nowhere!"

"Can we come?"

"Whatever"

"Are we there yet?"

Tired of getting one word answers and a glare from her last question, Miyu silently plead to Rika to help her. Rika shrugged and hopelessly muttered, "We're two sets away from performance, anything else you need for us to do?"

Syaoran heard her cousin but chose to answer her with silence instead. Rika on the other hand, knowing him too well, didn't give up in getting a response from him, baited, "We can do another round of practice if you'd like." Miyu groaned with the suggestion and on the verge of whining when he replied.

"Let's go, we're changing the song."

"What the hell are you thinking? You can't…"

"But you can't just change everything so…"

His two cousins yelled simultaneously. But before they can even finish their angry outbursts, he walked out on them.

"Damn it Syaoran! Get back here!" Rika screamed at his deranged cousin, to maybe somehow talk some sense out of him. Unfortunately, the said cousin didn't even looked back at her tirade and continued his flight away from them.

"Syao, wait up!" Miyu hastily grabbed Rika's hand and drag her to the direction their temperamental cousin took.

**_I'm gonna make damn sure_**

**_I just wanna break you down so badly_**

**_I just wanna break you down so badly (damn sure)_**

**_In the worst way (worst way)_**

"Kura! Dude!"

Sakura then, wipe her face with her sleeve and greeted her band mates. "Hey guys, what are you doing here?"

Upon seeing her up close, they notice the change in her demeanor and the red rims surrounding her eyes. But before any of them tried to point it out or ask about it three heads from the members of the band that they looked up too, shook their heads. Getting the point they then each give her a hug of comfort as they usually do when they see each other and cheerfully inquired.

"How are you Kura?" Jun asked carefully but got interrupted by Yam who pushed him to get directly in front of her, "Did you miss us? You did miss us especially me, right?" Ryu elbowed Yam to get in front of her. "Why, you? She obviously misses me the most as I'm her favorite! Right Kura?" Recovering from the playful blow, Yam returned the favor while yelling, "Dream on dude!"

"Guys shut up! And stop pushing; you might end up pushing her too. You don't want to get on the wrong side of Ikki, Tomoyo and Touya do you?" At Jun's comment, the two stop shoving each other and behaved as they saw Sakura smiling from their antics. The three band mates look at each other, _'Mission accomplished'_ running in their thoughts.

Sakura still reels from the shock of her own band showing up suddenly, halfheartedly listen as one by one affectionately expressed their longing by either repeatedly hugging her tightly or ruffling her hair. She shook her head from their obvious ploy to make her smile, gave them a shallow one for their effort and asked the question she'd been itching to ask since their appearance "What are you guys doing here?"

"Oh, didn't they tell you?" Yam peculiarly quirked his head on the side. "Hmm… That's odd?"

Ryu slump his arm on her shoulders and interjects, "They invited us to perform as the next intermission number."

Sakura then nodded dejectedly on the news and asked if she could pick the song for it.

"Of course!" Jun immediately piped up. "What do you…"

Before anyone from her band mates could ask what song it would be, she was already a few yards away from them.

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: I'm really sorry for a year delayed update. I do promised to finished this. Only four chapters left! Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "Make Damn Sure" by Taking Back Sunday

November 23, 2012 bangag_pa

* * *

I'm sorry for the delay, I lost my other file and have to rewrite the last part of Chapter 20 and the next chapter. I'll post it as soon as I can.

July 23, 2013 updated


	21. Petition

**Chapter 21: Petition**

"He did what?" Eriol yelled so loud that he gained attention from bystanders close at hand. Natural eavesdroppers that they are, Tomoyo and Andy sneakily join the group while Miyu and Rika tried to put their two cents in it.

"Why the hell did he change the song?"

Rika struggled to justify Syaoran's last-minute decision of changing the song. "He's inconsolably pissed off from finding the truth."

"Truth?"

"Duh? About Sakura." Miyu blurted out in frustration as her cousin choose to be dense _now_ of all times. Little did they know that mentioning Sakura's name drew two more curious guys whose just passing by into their group discussion.

"What the fu-"

Though before Eriol finish his cussing, Miyu interjected quickly. "Syao found out about Sakura and Ikki and confronted her just a few minutes ago."

"HE WHAT?"

"WHAT THE F#*$?!"

"HOW THE HELL?!"

"SHIT?!"

Eriol, Miyu and Rika just then notice the additional members in their group, the 4 members of Raging Wings itself. Miyu and Rika then try to relate in detail the confrontation that they witnessed between Syaoran and Sakura. After listening to their first-hand account, Tomoyo, Andy, Ikki and Ren hastily scampered to the direction they've pointed while the three started to look for help in Mei Lin.

A few yards from the outskirts of the forest, Tomoyo, Andy, Ren and Ikki stopped abruptly on their tracks as they heard in surprise a shout out and a loud racket from the audience in the concert grounds.

"Give it up for our guest performers, CONVICTED MINDS!"

Donning her usual signature cap, faded and torn up jeans, statement shirt and black hoodie, Sakura steps into the microphone and scan the crowd below.

**_You know that you are the center of my attention_**

**_And you leave me no choice_**

**_Tripping on to the floor_**

**_Looking at my reflection as I follow_**

**_The chord to your voice as it rings on through_**

**_Your voice clearly receptive like the day we met_**

**_I knew_**

After recovering from their initial shock of Sakura's band performing on stage, Eriol, Miyu and Rika parted the crowds looking around for their older cousin, Mei Lin. Finally, through the first verse of the song they found her near the side of the stage looking wearily at the guitarist.

"Mei" Rika attempted to get her attention from the stage.

Mei Lin spares them a glance then look back at the stage. "I still can't believe she picked this song."

Miyu naively asked, "Why? What's wrong with the song? I like this song, it rocks!" pumping her fist in the air in enthusiasm.

"Can't you see? It's as if she's pleading to him to give her a chance to explain." Mei Lin sighed dejectedly turning her gaze from the disheartening scene on stage. "She doesn't deserve this." Mei Lin forlornly whimpered, "What have I done?"

Speechless, the three who intended to seek out for her back up, pathetically stares at her weak countenance as she walks away from them and disappears into the rowdy crowd.

**_Don't hang up on me 'cause I'm hung up on you_**

**_Don't tell me how to feel like you always do_**

**_I know you're right_**

**_I don't wanna fight_**

**_Is this how our story ends or a new chapter begins?_**

"Something's wrong?" Touya muttered to himself but was still heard by Yuki and Ken who just arrived by his side near the back stage area. Yuki elbowed Ken who almost spilled the beans, before Touya noticed them and asked his best friends, "Do you know?"

"How should I know?" Ken poorly feigned ignorance and received a dirty look from Yuki and a suspicious one from Touya. "She's you're sister not mine." Conceding from the mini-interrogation, Touya then shifted his attention to his other best friend and silently ask the same question.

Refusing to face Touya, Yuki shrugged. "Sorry dude, I'm as clueless as you are." As he opted to stare at the young guitarist that he also treats as his younger sister than her brother beside him.

Touya frowned at his best friends still positive that they're hiding something from him. He then diverted his gaze to his sister on stage as he plotted on how to get the information from his so-called best friends; knowing that it has something to do with his sister, call it a brother's intuition if you will. "Something's definitely wrong."

**_As the days roll by_**

**_Can't help myself_**

**_Just sit and wonder why_**

**_Was it something I said?_**

**_Something I did?_**

**_My girl_**

"Syao wait up."

Even recognizing the voice, he instead continues to trudge forward. Syaoran desperately needs to go further away from the concert grounds to block out the song. He do gets the message that Sakura wanted to convey through the song but persistently rejects the idea. In his mind, whatever explanation she has, is not enough for the dejection he's feeling at the moment.

"Li, Xiao Lang!" Mei screamed as she catches up with him and turns him around to face her and was shocked on the sullen disposition his emitting.

"WHAT?"

Mei Lin drags her brother to a semi-secluded place on the left side of the concert grounds, a mere alcove of trees hiding their presence. "What the hell do you want? I have no time for this Mei!" She inadvertently pushed him hard-pressed on the trunks, as he continuously thrashes from her clutches. "Will you stop for a second and listen to me! Sakura never meant to deceive you!"

"Why? You don't even know what that f# king bitch did?"

"Don't ever call her that foul name." After reprimanding her brother, she then suddenly changes her disposition to answer his pending question. "Actually, I do." Mei uttered meekly, head bow down while gripping her brother's shoulders. "We knew her situation and we actually planned everything so that you two could spend more time after we found out that you like her. But she never knew anything about it."

Flabbergasted, "We?" Syaoran glared at her sister who's still avoiding his gaze as she remained drooped.

**_Your wilted roses make me cry_**

**_A sentimental sign of rejection as I follow_**

**_The chord to your voice as it rings on through_**

**_Your voice clearly receptive like the day we met_**

**_I knew_**

"You knew all the time?" Syaoran glowered at his sister as she finally loosens her hold on him. "All this f# king time!" He muttered, dumbfounded with this new found information. Mei Lin shamefully nodded and backed off a few inches from him, confident that he won't go anywhere.

Silence ensued for a few more minutes, before Mei Lin decided to break it. "We never did anything until we were certain that you guys have feelings for each other."

"F# k that feeling? Do you have any idea what I've went to questioning my sexuality?" Mei Lin winced at the incident that flashed through her mind and sheepishly smiled. "Oh I bet you had a grand time laughing your asses off when you saw my hesitations, did you?" That question alone instantly wiped away the smile on her face and stare guiltily at the ground once more. "Unbelievable!"

Syaoran shrugged in annoyance, trying to draw in as much patience as he can to stand his ground and not waver from the sullenness his sister is projecting. "I was losing my mind thinking I'm going crazy when the bunch of you snickers and taunt me behind my back." Receiving no response but utter silence, he redirects his scowl on stage. "Did you arrange this too? Have her and her band sing that f# king song? How fitting?! You really know me too well!" He sarcastically threw at her face.

His scowl intensifies as he attempts to exhale all his frustrations, "Do you even know how it feels? Do you?" But before she could say her piece, he answered his own question. "That's right! You don't!" Syaoran paces in front of her like a mad man. "It's like eating one's heart out. They subjected me to that. And you, you're my sister and you're a part of it?"

Syaoran by then stopped his pacing and put a hold on his sister's shoulders who is now in tears. "How could you?" Syaoran looked at her sister in repulsion. "Who the hell gave you the right to manipulate my life? Who?!"

"Syao, I… I…" Mei brokenly stammers as she tries to take control of her emotions to defend herself and pacify her brother.

"Mom did? Dad? Who the fucking hell did?!" Syaoran this time is shaking her sister not too gently assuming that he might get out some answers from it.

"Hey!" Touya suddenly emerged and snatched his love interest from her brother, "Whatever your sister did, you have no right to talk back at her like that!" with Ken and Yuki trailing behind him.

Syaoran just glared at the intruders, hurled a last disgusted look at her sister and walked away.

**_Don't hang up on me 'cause I'm hung up on you_**

**_Don't tell me how to feel like you always do_**

**_I know you're right_**

**_I don't wanna fight_**

**_Is this how our story ends or a new chapter begins?_**

"What the hell? How could this happen?" Ren frustratingly ask as they accidentally witnessed the Li siblings' dispute from a distance and how Touya, Ken and Yuki intervened. He and his band were on their way to break up the hostility between the siblings when Touya and his cronies showed up a few seconds ahead of them.

Ren scrunches up his shoulders and tousles his hair in agitation, "You guys told me, they love each other."

"Wait, what?!" Ikki confusingly look between his best friends in bewilderment. "You knew about this?"

"I only knew about Sakura and Syaoran's mutual feelings, that's the only reason why I purposely yielded from all this lovey-dovey stuff. Other than that nothing more, right?" Ren pointedly questioned the two girls and only received a winced from them. "Shit! I told you not to stick your noses in it."

Andy stammers while playing with the bottom of her shirt, "Tomo and I, we only created some opportunities to give them an itsy-bitsy push." Andy hold out two of her fingers in the air to describe how little it was.

"An itsy… what the hell?!" Ren furiously move his hands around in jest and mockery. "This is a little push to you?" Ren now violently wave his arms all over the place, trying to regain a semblance of truth in the situation. "Explain then, why the hell did he react that way?"

"I… we…" Andy stuttered, now at a loss for words. Tomoyo then took up her unfinished sentence and audaciously speaks up, "We thought we could get away with it without him finding all of these out."

"And now what?" Ren in exasperation sent daggers through his stare to the two girls in front of him. "Sakura's deeply hurt; the Li siblings' relationship in jeopardy and all for what?" With these, the two girls were left entirely speechless and temporarily defenseless.

Ikki, who remained quiet within the whole exchange and reeling still from the shock of seeing one of his best friends out of character, conspicuously drag them away from the crowd, "Alright spill it." He then glowered at his female band mates, "Tell us every f# king detail!"

**_Don't hang up on me 'cause I'm hung up on you_**

**_Don't tell me how to feel like you always do_**

**_I know you're right_**

**_I don't wanna fight_**

**_Is this how our story ends or a new chapter begins?_**

After relaying everything to her band mates, Mei grabbed hold of the hands of a now seething Touya. He, on the other hand, instead of celebrating that his ten-years-love-interest finally made the initiative, roughly shove her hands away. "I didn't mean for this to go all out of hand. I really thought that they had the chance to find happiness in each other. I thought…"

"Damn it Mei!" Suppressing his growing hatred, "I can't believe you did that to my sister." Touya said in revulsion. "You of all people knew how protective I get with her."

"And he finally admits his sadistic-sister-complex." Ken whispered in jest which earned him another gut wrenching nudged from Yukito. "Now, is not the time for your newly-found sense of humor."

Touya shook his head in disbelief on the situation at hand and averted his eyes away from her, believing that anywhere else is better. "Never in my entire damn life did I consider you to stoop this low with those two brats." Touya look at his two sidekicks, "Where's that cousin of mine and sister of yours, Yuki? Ken?"

Yukito just shrugged while Ken backed away from the intensity of his glare and just wave his hands in a certain motion that he has no idea about their whereabouts. He then put both of his hands on his head attempting to contain his frustrations as he blurted out, "It's bad enough with the Ikki situation and now this? By the way, where the hell is that gaki? This is all his fault. If he didn't force kajuu to replace him she wouldn't even be here." He scanned the crowd trying to locate is idiotic cousin and give the bashing that he solely deserved when Mei Lin hugged him from behind. "Touya, I'm really sorry!"

Touya froze from the contact and closed his eyes in an attempt to contain himself. Torn between exhilaration and frustration, he gently pries her hands away from his abdomen and step forward to create the needed space.

Yukito then decided to interject his piece. "I know you mean well but that doesn't mean that what you did is right."

"I know, I know." Mei Lin begged Touya to listen to her, and tugged at his sleeve as he once again, move away from her. "Touya, please..." Miserably, Touya looked at his sister on stage and trudged forward to its direction, leaving Mei Lin behind who longingly gazed at him in melancholy.

Watching the impasse between his two best friends, Yukito nodded at Ken and followed Touya through the crowd. Ken then, put his arms on Mei Lin's shoulder to support her sinking countenance and sighed, "Just let him go, let his head cool off for a bit."

**_Don't hang up on me 'cause I'm hung up on you_**

**_Don't tell me how to feel like you always do_**

"You did what?" Ikki covered his eyes with his right hand as he tilt his head back and take a very deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Nothing… really…" Andy sheepishly looked at the ground while twirling one of her stray fringes with two fingers. "Just ask for some help with our plans."

"It's bad enough that you've recruited Mei and her cousins with your f #king schemes." Ikki shrugged in defeat and ridiculousness his two friends subjected their poor victims with. "But never did I expect you had it in you to enlist a group of fanatics to torture those two. And then, trap and force them to irreversible circumstances."

Tomoyo gaped at his words and try to stammer her reply, "When you say it that way, it seems really awful. We didn't think it would end up like this."

Ikki glared at her, "Yeah, you never used your brain." But before she could defend herself, he blurted his angry retort, "She's our f #king cousin, damn it!"

"It's…" Andy attempted to respond back for her best friend but got a loss for words.

Done with waiting for Andy's comeback, Ren sighed in exasperation "It's what? You guys anticipated what squirt's actions would be but you haven't thought through how Li would react. You guys don't know him enough to anticipate his reaction to whatever situation you put him through."

**_I know you're right_**

**_I don't wanna fight_**

"You can't put everything on us, we have his cousins there too, you know." Tomoyo said defiantly, still convinced that she and Andy did the right thing for Sakura's _almost-budding and currently-dying_ love life.

"Yeah, yeah and you have Mei Lin's consent too." Andy and Tomoyo nodded. "But you've got to understand that for a guy to finally admit to himself that he's gay and then find out in the end that it's a girl he's attracted with, will feel betrayed by that person." Ren took a shot in explaining his point while struggling to control his annoyance with his two childhood friends.

"Bu-but…" Tomoyo stumbled with her words, clearly having no idea about the betrayal Syaoran must have felt.

"Won't you feel betrayed too?" Ikki put his two cents in it too. "I know this is my fault for forcing Sakura to do this pretending ruse to cover for me. But I never thought you two would do this to her." He, on the other hand, didn't hold back his rage with the two girls. "You, of all people, Tomo, her cousin even… I thought you would even be more protective than Touya would be. She even treated you both like her own family, big sisters that she looks up to."

Tomoyo tried again, "Ye-yeah but…"

"Just give it up Tomo," Andy interjected, relieving her friend from mumbling some alibis for their actions. "It's our fault for persistently pushing them together too them." Andy _now_ utterly overwhelmed with the guilty gnawing in her insides. Looking at her best friend, Tomoyo gave up all sorts of excuses that she has in line.

Ikki finally satisfied with the remorse reflected in their faces, demanded, "Fixed this."

**_Is this how our story ends or a new chapter begins?_**

"You better f #king fix this." And with that Ikki and Ren walk out on their two band mates to go look for Sakura.

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: I'm really sorry for the delayed update I've lost the first half of this chapter. Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "Disconnect" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Aug 20, 2013 bangag_pa

* * *

Oct 3, 2013 updated


	22. Repercussions

**Chapter 22: Repercussions**

"So did you like our surprise guests' performance?" The host asked the squealing crowd and received a hell yeah from it. He then looked at his key card to announce the next band, "Oh I bet you'll like this next one. Performing a cover of Hands Down, Wolf Drifters!"

A few feet from the stage a group of dog-tired teens huddled in a corner hiding from their astonishingly increasing groupies while unwinding in the pumped up atmosphere in the air, until they heard the electric violin intro.

"What the hell that's not Hands Down. Did the song list get mixed up?" Absorbing the stunned silence of the crowd, Ryu unintentionally exclaimed, drawing a few scattered stares close at hand.

Jun butt in as he also saw the shock from the audience and the panel of judges from the intro, "No, I don't think so. Except for the vocalist, the rest of the band literally winced when they heard the song introduced."

"Changing the song for the finals, 10 minutes before they perform could either make or break their chances in winning the contest." Ryu pondered on this out loud while rubbing his chin.

"It's literally just plain suicidal..." Yam throws into the mix as he pumps his fist with conviction.

Not minding the conversation going on around her, Sakura frets over the vocalist on stage. 'Why is he looking at me like that? Is he trying to say something?'

"Why the hell would they do that?" Jun ask as he look from one friend to another as he only receives uncertain shrugging from the boys, he shifted his attention to the only girl in the group. "You had two of them as your room mates, right? What do you think Kura?" Receiving only silence from her, Jun wave a hand over her face as Ryu and Yam just shrugged again in indifference.

Sakura who remained silent through the inquisition, still preoccupied with the vocalist on stage, she whispers, "It's a message for me…"

**_Its 4am, you call to spit some fire out  
but did you think that I would listen to you now?  
It's nothing new so get in line with all the rest  
and I will wait till you realize you're out of breath_**

Mei Lin finally recovered from her stupor and desperately finds escape from her friend's comforting embrace. "I really need to talk to him." Ken struggles to keep her as far away from Touya as possible until his hot-headed friend cools his head off.

"Mei, wait!" In a desperate measure, Ken clasped Mei Lin's waist and pin her to his side. "Just think of it as if he annoyed you again from being too cheesy or clingy or something he normally does to piss you off your rocker."

"Yes, I can't stand his nauseatingly and excessive romantic side but I neither can stand knowing that he downright despises me at this point." Mei Lin by now hung limped on his side, finally giving up with her struggles and admitting defeat. "I need him to see that I didn't mean any of this. That all I want is for my brother and Sakura to be together. And that I do feel the same way…" Longingly, Mei Lin let out a heavy sigh, "But I guess it's too late."

Ken almost lost his clutch on her from the brunt of the confession. He only then, noticed the shivering shadows behind him. Without hesitation, Ken promptly twists his head around only to have a glimpse of the fleeting figure of his best friend backing away from them in utter vexation and disorientation.

**_Can you hear the crowd? They all go wild  
For you and your denial  
They're watching you break down(Break Down)  
Hate me all you want, I'll be okay  
I'm half the world away  
I'm letting you go now (Go Now)_**

"Touya!"

"WHAT?"

"You know Mei would never hurt Sakura or you intentionally."

"But she still did!"

"She did it with good intentions but things got in a way that she can't control."

"Then she shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Do you think she would do it if she knew this would happen?" Not aware his walking in circles, he found himself behind his other childhood friend and their current subject.

Mei Lin by now hung limped on Ken's side, finally giving up with her struggles and admitting defeat. "I need him to see that I didn't mean any of this. That all I want is for my brother and Sakura to be together. And that I do feel the same way…" Longingly, Mei Lin let out a heavy sigh, "But I guess it's too late."

Ken almost lost his clutch on her from the brunt of the confession. Touya shivers from utter vexation and disorientation, slowly backs away from the scene as he sees Ken twist his head on their direction. Yukito nodded some consolation at Ken as he again trailed behind Touya.

**_You've got sadness twisted up with jealousy  
You show your fists to make them look like loyalty  
And I have seen what holding on can take away  
If it's the past you love then that's where you can stay_**

Parting the riotous crowd in frustration, Yukito almost yelled again for his best friend when the said friend stopped abruptly that Yukito almost collided with him, and whined. "Mutual feelings?"

"Now of all time, she confesses her feelings for me, when I'm totally still pissed off from what she did to my sister?" Touya almost punched the nearest person near him, when Yukito swiftly yanked him before making the hit and hauled him to a nearby tree. "Talk about great timing." Touya puffed in weariness.

Yukito squarely grabbed Touya's shoulders to gain his attention, pinning him to the almost maimed tree, "Mei's feelings for you and the past actions with Kura's are entirely different."

He then continuously pokes Touya on his right shoulder as he points out every justifications he has to say. "She has always these conflicting feelings for you…" (Poke) "That your continuous sappiness hinders her…" (Poke) "…from admitting it to you." (Poke) "Now, her action towards Kura's situation…" (Poke) "…is purely just to push them together…" (Poke) "…to realize their feelings for each other." (Poke) "Their methods are quite unconventional…" (Poke) "…but the purity of the intention is there." (Poke) "They just want them…" (Poke) "…to experience falling in love." Yukito finally released his hold on his best friend after delivering his standpoints.

"I still don't…"

"Coz you'll never let go of this colossal pride of yours." Yukito shakes his head in utter surrender. "You're as stubborn as it can be. Keep it up and you'll lose everything you held dear."

A sudden squeal caught their attention and broke the silence emanating from the two friends. They then watched the animated exchange of the source of the said squeal. "Kura's not a fragile doll that you can always protect. Have you even confronted Sakura on her feelings about this before blowing up on Mei?" At this, Touya blanched as he watched his best friend walk away from him.

**_Can you hear the crowd? They all go wild  
For you and your denial  
They're watching you break down (break down)  
Hate me all you want, I'll be okay  
I'm half the world away  
I'm letting you go now (go now)  
Go Now (go now)_**

Slipping away from her band mates to be alone and get some needed space Sakura then incidentally stumbled upon her faux brothers.

"Hey squirt, how are you?" Ikki gently pulled her into a surprisingly calming embrace. Sakura squealed in surprise but then succumbed into it unenthusiastically, once she knew who it was. Noticing her downcast disposition, Ikki tighten his grasp on her desperately trying to give comfort to his beloved cousin.

Ren gently ruffled her hair, "Been looking for you after your song. Where the heck did you disappear into?"

But then again silence ensues as Sakura soaks up the solace given by her two current confidants instead of answering their questions. "I'm sorry squirt; if I didn't pressure you into covering for me none of this bullshit would ever happen." Ikki rubs her back, intensifying his embrace though not too much to squeeze the daylights out of her.

"If only I didn't been too naïve about those two schemers, you'll never be in this situation. I apologize for not sheltering you enough from those two idiots, kiddo." With this, Sakura grabs Ren's arm to bring him closer for her to give a proper one arm hug and Ikki with her other.

"You guys didn't do anything wrong. It's just plain bad luck for me, I guess."

**_Desperation kills  
But when it's on your sleeve you wear it well  
Underneath it all you'll always have this war inside yourself_**

After Yukito have left him to God knows where, Touya decided to just brood over his best friend's deductions. Yukito has always been the voice of reason, but why for the life of him, have the difficulty to digest just what he said. Slumping beside the tree he was pinned into a few minutes ago, Touya closes his eyes in an attempt to calm his nerves and clear his chaotic mind. He was quite successful for a few minutes until he heard some familiar voices.

"Why am I not surprise with your involvement?" Yukito chastises the now somber duo that is Andy and Tomoyo. Both girls hung their heads low in shame, too caught up with their guilt to talk. "You girls can't stay quiet to avoid this, coz I won't let you guys go until I get some freaking answers." He taps his fingers on the tree bark behind the two, minutes passed and his patience running out.

Both girls jumped from surprise at the tone he used. "Now tell me, before I drag you both out of here and lock you up with Sakura's fans club after telling them what you did to her."

Andy gasped while Tomoyo winced at his threat. Yukito glared at them, giving them a few more minutes before hauling them to his promised threat. He was about to grabbed both of their wrists when Tomoyo took a heavy breath. "Fine, we did it to get those two together. We knew Syaoran's attraction to Sakura whom he'd mistaken to be Andy in the beginning and Sakura's developing feelings toward him while being his confidant as Ikki."

"We never thought that Syaoran would be able to find out about everything." Andy gulped as he received a severe look from his brother. "I mean, umm… we were going to tell them everything after this camp? After they get together?"

Yukito's eyes widened in realization, idiosyncratic accusation in his tone, "You guys never intend to tell them anything, let them live in ignorance, and just hope to get away with it!"

"Does your silence means yes?" Andy, Tomoyo and Yukito recoiled in alarm with the looming presence of Touya.

**_I'm letting you go now (go now)  
Can you hear the crowd? They all go wild  
For you and your denial  
They're watching you break down (break down)_**

"Touya just let me handle them."

"What do you mean by handling them? You're barely getting anything out of them."

"And what, intimidating them until they turn white from fear will help you get some answers?"

"Whatever it takes to get it from them!"

Tomoyo and Andy looked at each other having a silent discussion on what they're going to do with the predicament they're in. They bid their time as they waited for the two bickering best friends to be too engrossed with their arguments to start their escape. But as they inched away from the two, they came upon a solid wall of bodies. They both groaned as they slowly turn around to see the hindrance from their sweet getaway.

"Mei!"

"Ken!"

**_Hate me all you want, I'll be okay  
I'm half the world away  
I'm letting you go now (go now)_**

Mei Lin who barely acknowledge their presence, went straight to Touya and hug him from behind for the second time in a just a span of an hour. "Touya, please."

Touya stiffened considerably and immediately stop arguing with his best friend. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and calmly peels off her clutch on him. "Mei, not now… umm… We'll talk later, okay?" Mei considers this and silently stays put behind him.

"Now, you two got some explaining to do." Andy and Tomoyo cower from the intensity of the three older boys: a disappointed brother, a temperamental cousin and a disheartened friend.

**_Go Now (go now)_**

Ken tried to stifle his laughter from the irony of the situation. "So you mean to say, you tried to set up Kura to that gaki while she's posing as Ikki, making the gaki question himself if he's gay?"

"And you spread a rumor that you dumped her as Ikki, your ex-boyfriend coz he was cheating on you coz you caught them? And that they were a gay couple?" Yukito scratched his nape in bafflement while Ken was in hysterics unable to contain his laughter at this point.

Touya, on the other hand, was beyond livid. "You all planned to hire a bunch of fanatics, got them trapped in a comfort room and videotaped it?!" Touya spun around to face Mei Lin, "Are you on this too?" Mei Lin just nodded in shame. "What the hell were you thinking? Conspiring with these two idiots?"

"Hey, we're not idiots!"

"And we totally have the support of his cousins too!"

"Will you guys stop making it worse by adding up more people to his death list..."

"Death list?"

"Yuki, I'm not in it, right?"

"I can't believe you'll do this to us!"

"Stop blaming Mei, it's our entire fault!"

"We just dragged her into this!"

"SHUT UP!"

**_Go Now (go now)_**

Sakura incidentally happen to witness everything and found out all their involvement. Screaming for them to shut up, she pleaded to be left alone and for them to stop blaming each other. After saying her piece, she abruptly left the scene, followed by Ikki and Ren who gave the group a stare down with their actions before resuming in shadowing Sakura and tend to whatever she needs.

"Oh, Shit?!"

"Double crap!"

"Now what?"

"Damn it!"

"F#$&!"

"She knows everything."

**_Go Now (go now)_**

- to be continued -

* * *

A/N: Two more chapters to go. Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "For you and your denial" by Yellowcard

Oct 4, 2013 bangag_pa


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